Judas and the Black Messiah

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Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton stands at a podium with his fist raised, while LaKeith Stanfield as William O'Neil stands among a crowd with his fist raised, in Judas and the Black Messiah.

Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah

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Judas and the Black Messiah

film by King [2021]

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July 22, 2026

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Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton stands at a podium with his fist raised, while LaKeith Stanfield as William O'Neil stands among a crowd with his fist raised, in Judas and the Black Messiah. — Judas and the Black Messiah Daniel Kaluuya (top) and LaKeith Stanfield (bottom centre) in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), directed by Shaka King.

Judas and the Black Messiah is a 2021 historical drama film directed by Shaka King. The movie centers on the betrayal of Fred Hampton, the charismatic deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, by FBI informant William O'Neal.12

Fred Hampton, a prominent civil rights leader, was killed in a 1969 raid by Chicago police. Daniel Kaluuya received an Academy Award for his portrayal of Hampton, and LaKeith Stanfield played O'Neal. The film explores Hampton's activism, his formation of the "Rainbow Coalition" to unite various community groups, and the events leading to his death.312

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H.E.R.
Music
…contributed to the soundtrack for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021); in 2022 the track won the Grammy for best traditional R&B performance. In addition, in June 2021 Wilson released her first full-length album, Back of My Mind, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s R&B albums chart. The work…
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…contributed to the soundtrack for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021); in 2022 the track won the Grammy for best traditional R&B performance. In addition, in June 2021 Wilson released her first full-length album, Back of My Mind, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s R&B albums chart. The work…
Read More

Daniel Kaluuya
…Panther leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), Kaluuya won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor.
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…Panther leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), Kaluuya won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor.
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Jesse Plemons
The Irishman, The Power of the Dog, and Killers of the Flower Moon
…portrayed an FBI agent in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), an acclaimed drama about Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), leader of the Chicago Black Panthers. Plemons’s other notable credits from 2021 include Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. In the award-winning western, Plemons portrayed George Burbank, the brother of…
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…portrayed an FBI agent in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), an acclaimed drama about Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), leader of the Chicago Black Panthers. Plemons’s other notable credits from 2021 include Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. In the award-winning western, Plemons portrayed George Burbank, the brother of…
Read More