Spike Lee has recently opened up about his latest film Red Hook Summer. In an interview with GQ Magazine, the veteran movie maker went into detail about several topics regarding his summertime film.
Lee co-wrote the script along with James McBride and mentioned that his co-worker is responsible for the religious aspects of the story.
“James McBride’s parents actually founded the church we shot in,” said Lee. “Unlike him, I did not grow up in the church. The only time I went to church was when my parents shipped me and my siblings’ black [expletive] down South to spend the summer with our grandparents to get rid of us. James and I have a different perspective growing up as far as going to church, and we wanted to incorporate young people in this film. You have this thing where a young, black, middle-class teenager growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta has a father die while serving in Afghanistan. His mom, who really raised him, then sends him to the Hook.”
Spike Lee goes on to respond to the question of “stepping into Tyler Perry’s realm by making a religious film” by saying,
“There’s a lot of religion in Jungle Fever, Ozzie Davis is the good reverend doctor. There is a lot of religion in Malcolm X. So my man don’t have the domain on religion and those films were made before he started making films. He’s kind of bogarted it now, but it’s not his private domain. Religion isn’t just for one filmmaker, or one novelist, or one playwright.”
After turning down the possibility of tracing Perry, Lee spoke on the financing for the movie and mentioned that he already made a profit.
“I’m not trying to get a medal or pat on the back when I say that I financed this myself. It’s just what needed to be done. Studios were not going to make this film. Here’s the thing, though: I got my money back already from Red Hook Summer, and then some. All before the film has even opened.”
Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer hits theaters August 10th. For Lee’s full interview click here.
