Just Mercy star Jamie Foxx says movie "could have gone wrong"
Just Mercy star Jamie Foxx has admitted that the new drama "could have gone wrong", especially given that it was a story not well known outside the United States.
The true story focuses on Walter McMillian (played by Foxx), an African-American man who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of a white woman in the 1980s.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Foxx and co-star Michael B Jordan spoke about communicating racial tensions in the US to audiences outside the country.
"I think the perception of what it is to be black and brown, the presumption of guilt and danger, I think it's universal – not just in the States but a worldwide situation," Jordan said.
"I feel like people from all over the world have been able to connect with the movie and relate. That's why we're getting the response that we're getting, because they all feel like that could have been them or somebody that they know, they know what that looks like.
"So I feel like here in the UK or in the States, it's definitely a universal issue."
Foxx added: "It's interesting, when you talk about movies like Parasite or movies that we may not know the culture. But when movies are great they have no boundaries, and I think Just Mercy really exemplifies that.
"You know, Toronto Film Festival, standing ovation for eight minutes – and that's not America. Because there's two things going on – one, there's the story, which he's beautifully brought to the forefront.
"But then it's the movie itself... It could have gone wrong. But in this situation the stars lined up and it's been really effective."
Just Mercy is in cinemas now.
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