Three generations ofShaftcharacters gathered together at the premiere of the new film in New York City on Monday, with Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jessie T. Usher posing for pictures just days before the film’s June 14th release.
Roundtree was the originalShaftstar, and the 76-year-old is once again playing the role of John Shaft I, with Jackson, 70, playing John Shaft II. Meanwhile, 27-year-old franchise newcomer Usher will portray John Shaft Jr.
Jackson praised Roundtree’s contributions to cinema, hailing the actor as “one of our heroes” in an interview with theNew York Daily Newsat Monday night’s premiere.
“He’s kind of iconic in our community and in our mythology,” Jacksontold theNews. “He’s one of our heroes, and we don’t want to make him be a buffoon or a fool in any way.”
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“To have a guy like that who was unapologetically black, brave, cool and irreverent was a revelation,” said the actor, who was 22 whenShaftinitially hit theaters in July 1971.
“By the time the Blaxploitation era hit, people tried to disparage it in an interesting sort of way, but we wanted it,” Jackson added to the outlet. “We needed it. I’ve been going to movies all my life, so it was important that I see people who were heroes, who were sticking it to the Man, which is what basically those movies were.”
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This isn’t the first time Jackson has acted alongside Roundtree in aShaftfilm, having already played the character of John Shaft II — who is Shaft’s nephew — in a 2000 remake.
Usher, a newcomer to theShaftfranchise, plays Jackson’s character’s son and Roundtree’s character’s great-nephew.
The film also stars Alexandra Shipp and Regina Hall, who were at Monday’s premiere as well.
Shafthits theaters this Friday.
source: people.com
