A ‘Euphoria’ star might be in contention for a back-to-back Oscar nod

In the last few years, Colman Domingo has cemented his legacy as one of the finest actors of his generation, delivering compelling performances in Euphoria, Rustin, and the 2024 A24 release, Sing Sing.

Following an initial release in limited theaters on July 12, 2024, the movie was made available to a larger audience on August 2. The film’s moving storyline has affected viewers of different generations alike, prompting the question about the premise of the movie being inspired by real-life events.

Sing Sing is indeed based on a true story, as it takes inspiration from a group of incarcerated men at the infamous Sing Sing Correctional Facility, which is located in New York. The movie focuses on the theatrical production the group puts up as a part of the maximum security prison’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts program.

Directed by Greg Kwedar based on a screenplay he wrote with Clint Bentley, the movie also stars multiple real-life formerly imprisoned men: Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Sean San José, David “Dap” Giraudy, Patrick “Preme” Griffin, and Sean “Dino” Johnson. These men play the fictional versions of themselves in the movie. Domingo and Paul Raci are the only high-profile professional actors involved in the project, which was distributed by A24.

In the movie, the members of the correctional facility get together to stage an original production titled Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code. The director was motivated to bring the story to screen after coming across John H. Richardson’s 2005 Esquire article The Sing Sing Follies (A maximum-security comedy). The film holds the unique distinction of ensuring a financial setup where all members of the cast and crew (including Domingo and Raci) were paid the same daily and weekly wages.

The movie premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations program, following which A24 was quick to grab the distribution rights of this unique project. While it has failed to garner much interest in theaters, the film has received rave reviews from critics, with talks around Domingo being in line for a back-to-back Oscar nomination.