The sharp social satire The American Society of Magical Negroes is now playing in theaters. In our exclusive featurette, writer-director Kobi Libii lays out his film’s origin story.
“The American Society of Magical Negroes is a secret underground society,” Libii explains. Their mandate is to eliminate white discomfort.”
So where did Libii come up with the idea?
“It all starts with the Magical Negro trope,” he says. “It’s a Black character who doesn’t have his or her own internal life. They’re only there to support the white protagonist. I was always agitated by that. The original inspiration for this film was just trying to respond to that trope.”
In the film, Justice Smith stars as a new recruit to this society. David Alan Grier is the mentor who gives his charge points about navigating the world as a Black person – inspired by tips that Libii heard from his father starting at a young age.
“To use laughter as a way to look at some of the things that are broken about America without turning away, to me that’s kind of the function of humor,” Libii concludes.
Intrigued? Watch the featurette below, and go sit in on a meeting (er, screening) of the American Society of Magical Negroes. Get your tickets right here on Fandango.
