According to Deadline, Gregory Allen Howard, the first African American screenwriter for a $100 million drama with Remember the Titans, passed away at the age of 70 this past Friday in Miami following a brief illness.
What’s Happening:
- Howard also was the only African American screenwriter to write a spec script that became a $100 million movie, for Remember the Titans, which starred Denzel Washington and was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
- Harriet, originally titled Freedom Fire, was Howard’s first feature assignment more than 28 years ago at Disney. Eventually, the movie was made and released in 2019, starring Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monae and Joe Alwyn, and directed by Kasi Lemmons.
- His credits included Ali, starring Will Smith and Jamie Foxx, directed by Michael Mannas, as well as the award-winning stage play Tinseltown Trilogy.
- Howard was a two-time winner of the NAACP Image Awards, and also won the Christopher Award, the Howard University Paul Robeson Award for artistic excellence, and the Heartland Film Festival Award for screenwriting excellence.
- Born in Norfolk, VA, Howard moved often as a child before settling in Vallejo, CA. He went on to graduate from Princeton with a degree in American History, which served him well with his focus on historical topics in his screenwriting.