Break out the popcorn!
Peacock is already home to a number of original television series, but the NBCUniversal streaming service is about to get its fair share of original movies, too.
Joining Peacock's original film slate—which currently consists of flicks like Psych 2: Lassie Come Home and In Deep with Ryan Lochte—are Anthony, The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show and Black Boys. The latter two are launching on Thursday, Sept. 10, while Anthony will be premiere on Friday, Sept. 4.
Written by BAFTA-winning screenwriter Jimmy McGovern and produced by Colin McKeown and Donna Molloy, Anthony tells the story of 18-year-old Black student Anthony Walker, who in 2005, was murdered in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack in Liverpool that shocked the nation. The powerful feature film starring Toheeb Jimon (The Feed) in the lead role examines the impact of Walker's murder by exploring what may have happened had he lived.
"Both Donna and I were privileged to have produced Anthony. It follows a rich vein of factual drama we have been delivering for almost a decade now," said McKeown. "It means a lot to me personally as I am from the same village as the Walker family, and it is typical of Gee Walker, Anthony's mother, to draw positive conclusions from tragic events."
The Sit-In is a documentary film that chronicles the seminal event and almost-forgotten moment in American history during which legendary entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte hosted the iconic Tonight Show in place of Johnny Carson for an entire week.
Belafonte himself appears in the film, along with Questlove and Whoopi Goldberg who recount the historic moment.
"When I started this film, I thought that I was telling the story of Harry Belafonte's historic achievement as the first African American to host a full week of late night television," said Sit-In director Yoruba Richen. "I soon discovered the film was not only about this week during a politically volatile time in U.S history but also a journey through Harry's incredible career, political activism and enduring influence. I discovered how relevant it is to today when we are in a time of political crisis, much like 1968, the year Harry hosted the show."
Then there's Black Boys, a documentary film that celebrates the full humanity of Black men and boys in America.
"Our intention with this film and future films like it is to give visuals to the reality that the humanity of Black people lives on a wide spectrum," said executive producer Malcolm Jenkins. "This project is focused on the humanity of Black boys. No segment group is monolithic. What we are displaying in this film is how Black boys' bodies have been commodified, our minds completely disregarded, and our feelings, creativity, and love painted over by society. Operating in a society that fears them, Black men and Black boys face a unique kind of trauma. We need white people, and everyone for that matter, to see that the identity of the Black boy is under attack as early as preschool to adulthood. We all have a responsibility to help map the future of our children, and how our children preserve the world around them. Next up is Black Girls!"
To add to the excitement, the critically acclaimed documentary film A Most Beautiful Thing and feature film The Public will also exclusively be on Peacock beginning in September.
Learn more about all of the movies on the streaming service by scrolling through the complete list in the below gallery!
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Which film are you most excited to watch on Peacock? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!