Who's the cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about? SHAFT! Now that that is (necessarily) out of the way, we're talkin' about SHAFT with the cast and director of the new reboot. Hard to believe, SHAFT came out almost fifty years ago, and the name shows no signs of slowing down. Directed by Tim Story, the new SHAFT brings together three generations of the legendary name: the O.G. played by Richard Roundtree, his son, John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson), first seen in the 200 film directed by John Singleton, and the young man of the group, John Shaft Jr., played by Jessie T. Usher.
We were invited to take part in the NY junket for SHAFT, which was rather unique: Instead of the same old hotel-based setting, the junket for SHAFT was situated throughout Harlem, at three key locations. Watch below to see them all!
Our first chat is with the boys: Jackson, Roundtree and Usher. Taking place in the lounge of Harlem hotspot Red Rooster, I spoke to the guys about how long the SHAFT name has lived on, whether or not John Shaft can navigate the sensitive waters of 2019, what it was like for Usher to be a part of this legacy and more!
Next up, I spoke with Regina Hall and Alexandra Shipp at Harlem Shake, an excellent burger joint. Playing the women in the Shaft men's lives, Hall and Shipp ensure the latest SHAFT isn't just a boys club and, in fact, bring the guys back to size. We spoke about their characters' relationships to the protagonists and bringing SHAFT into today's climate.
Finally, I spoke to director Tim Story in front of one of Harlem's many iconic brownstones. The director speaks about the comedic tone of the film, how Shaft doesn't change no matter what year he's inhabiting, the future of the franchise and more.