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Spike Lee talks about how he saved his 1992 movie starring Denzel Washington when Warner Bros. turned down his request for more money. The iconic director has worked with Washington on four movies in total, starting with 1990’s Mo’ Better Blues. Their most recent collaboration as director and actor came in 2006’s Inside Man, which starred Washington as an NYPD hostage negotiator dealing with a heist gone wrong.
Most recently, Washington has been making headlines and earning rave reviews for his performance in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, where he plays scheming slave owner Macrinus. For his part, Lee hasn’t released a feature film since 2020’s Da 5 Bloods, but he has a number of projects in pre-production. Currently, he’s looking back on perhaps his most fruitful collaboration with Washington, which opened to critical acclaim in 1992 and earned Washington an Oscar nomination.
Spike Lee Saved Malcolm X When The Money Ran Out
Malcolm X Almost Didn’t Happen
Adapted from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, the 1992 biographical epic Malcolm X tells the story of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, portrayed by Washington. In addition to the Oscar nomination, Washington was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance. Due to the complexity of Malcolm X’s character and his legacy, telling his story on the big screen posed many challenges, which resulted in Lee’s movie having a total runtime of 3 hours and 22 minutes.
Lee revealed how he funded Malcolm X in an interview with The Realest Podcast Ever. The director admitted that when Warner Bros. cut off funding due to a disagreement on the length of the film, it was “one of the lowest points” in his life. He eventually came up with a list of people he could call for help and strategized the calls. The donations he received made the film possible, and the support from those he called also attracted Warner Bros., who stepped back in to fund the film. Check out what he said below:
Here’s the story. It was a showdown between myself and Warner Bros. They did not want the film to be the length it was, and
I knew that [for] this film to tell the story we want[ed] to tell, it had to be that length, over three hours,
so they put a gun to my head and said, “You know what, we’ll let the bond company take over the film if you don’t want to cut the film.” My salary was $2 million for that film and I put a million dollars in it, and we knew that the budget was not going to take us all the way through.So, this is one of the lowest points of my life, and to do that film, I had become a student of Malcolm. It hit me like a ton of bricks ’cause I had studied Malcolm, and he talked about self-reliance, self-determination, and I kept hearing that. I said, Oh sweat, I know some brother and sisters got some bank, but here’s a tricky thing: As far as the money goes, they were not getting a return on their money because that wasn’t a deal. It wasn’t going to be a tax write-off. It’s going to be a straight-up gift, so
I made a list of individuals who I had their phone number, and praise to God, praise Allah, they wrote these checks.
I had a list, and every time I got a check, I asked [the next person] for more, and the final two people, big numbers. I did this strategically, so I called Magic [Johnson], and said, “Boom boom boom”… Bet. Got the check. And the final call was to Michael Jordan [laughs uproariously], and I know how competitive Mike is. Mike said, “Magic gave what? I got you, I got you.” Boom.And so, before, when they cut me off, we were in pre-production, so all the people working on the film and post-production got letters saying, “You’re fired,” so with the money I accumulated, I rehired everybody and kept working on the film. At the Schomburg Library, 135th Street in Harlem, I made them have a press conference where I announced these African-Americans who wrote these checks, and the only thing I had to do, I made a promise to everybody I would never ever disclose how much they gave me, but I did say who these individuals were, and
the very next day, Warner Bros. started to finance the film.
Malcolm X is widely considered as a cult classic and an important piece in Black cinema, and it almost didn’t happen. Lee’s story speaks truthfully of the challenges filmmakers face in the industry and the need for resilience when defending one’s vision. In fact, many cult classics were almost never made due to setbacks and enormous challenges on their way to life. Filmmaking tests a director’s strength and determination, but it’s also a collaborative effort that wouldn’t be possible without the support of others.
Our Take On Malcolm X
A Film You Don’t Want To Miss
Malcolm X delves into the civil rights leader’s life and sees his evolution through each phase of his life while tackling themes like race and identity. Lee’s decision to make the film three hours and 22 minutes is well justified, as it covers a great deal of ground and several vital topics. The casting for the film also couldn’t have been more perfect, with Washington delivering a powerful performance that’s full of heart and soul.
Many believe that the 1992 biographic epic is the best work by Lee and Washington. Malcolm X was made during times of peak success in their careers. Fans who are mesmerized by Washington’s performance in Gladiator II shouldn’t miss this film and its Oscar-worthy storytelling and performances. Many would also rank the 1992 biopic as having the same prestige as The Matrix, which only makes Lee’s efforts to save it more notable.
Source: The Realest Podcast Ever
Malcolm X is a biographical film directed by Spike Lee, depicting the life of the influential African American leader and civil rights activist. Starring Denzel Washington in the titular role, the film chronicles Malcolm X’s journey from his troubled youth to his rise as a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam and his subsequent transformation after a pilgrimage to Mecca. The film captures the complexities and evolution of Malcolm X’s beliefs and activism.
- Release Date
- November 18, 1992
- Studio(s)
- 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks , JVC , Largo Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Cast
- Denzel Washington , Angela Bassett , Albert Hall , Al Freeman Jr. , Delroy Lindo
- Runtime
- 202 minutes
- Budget
- $34 Million
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