Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making Of “Malcolm X”

Ladies, we bet you didn’t know the autobiographical film, Malcolm X, was 25 years in the making! It’s based on Alex Haley’s novel, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but that’s NOT all the trivia there is for you. Let’s celebrate Malcolm X’s legacy on the anniversary of his assassination with the behind the scenes of the critically-acclaimed film that honored his life.

Financial Woes

The film cost $34 million to make. Spike Lee requested only $33 million to make a film of its scale. The studio calculated Lee’s previous films made less than $100 million in domestic box office combined. Therefore, they only offered $20 million and then another $8 million for foreign distribution to Largo Entertainment. The film went $5 million over budget. Lee sacrificed most of his salary, but the production was still shut down.

Eventually, Lee asked other celebrities to pitch in and help. Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby and Michael Jordan are among the celebrity friends that did so. After a rough cut of the film received such a positive response, Warner Bros. coughed up more money.

Norman Jewison vs. Spike Lee

Before Lee, Academy-Award nominated director Jewison was set to direct the film. But he withdrew from the position after pressure and demands  that the film be made by a black director. Lee eventually stepped up to the plate.

Oliver Stone

Originally, Stone was also interested in directing the film after he finished his movie JFK in 1991. He was interested in casting Denzel Washington who went on to star in the film.

JFK

Although Oliver Stone didn’t direct the film. Footage of Kennedy from the movie is used in Malcolm X.

Ossie Davis

The actor giving Malcolm X’s eulogy at the end of the film is Ossie Davis. He originally gave the eulogy, in real life, in 1965 during his funeral after the assassination. Watch it below.

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Louis Farrakhan

Farrakhan demanded the mention of his name be removed from the film. OK, it was more like threatened. Therefore, Spike Lee edited those scenes out of the film.

Mecca

The scenes shot in Mecca were done by the film’s 2nd unit. Lee wasn’t allowed in the city because he wasn’t Muslim and only Muslims are allowed. The film is also the first non-documentary production that was able to film in Mecca.

James Baldwin

There were many versions written for this film but ultimately Lee chose to go with Baldwin’s. He wrote the script over the course of two years and completed it in 1971 with co-writer Arnold Perl, who passed away that year. His family asked that his name not be attached.

Terence Blanchard

Blanchard plays the trumpeter in the “Billie Holiday Quintet,” but he’s also the film’s composer and consistent collaborator with Spike Lee.

Al Sharpton

Al Sharpton along with Bobby Seale (founder of the Black Panthers) made cameos in the film. They are in the scene where Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) is standing in the streets of Harlem preaching.

Richard Pryor

He was originally attached to star in the film, but as a comedic actor, he dropped out of the project in the 1980s.

Marvin Worth

Worth, the film’s producer, knew Malcolm X and tried to get the rights to tell his story in 1967. It took him 20 years to do so. While waiting, he produced an Oscar-nominated documentary of the same name.

The Assassins

The names of Malcolm X’s assassins are featured in the credits of the film. Talmadge Hayer/Thomas Hagan, Norman Butler and Thomas Johnson.

Bro. Baines

The character Bro. Baines (Albert Hall) the man who introduced Malcolm X to the Nation of Islam never existed in real life. He was created for the film. In reality, it was his brother and sister who led him to become a Muslim.

Nelson Mandela

At the end of the film, Mandela addressed a South African classroom with one of Malcolm X’s speeches. He refused to say the last part of it, “by any means necessary.” Therefore, Lee inserted Malcolm X saying it himself.