King Richard

Based on a true story, King Richard centers on Richard Williams, a hardscrabble but iron-willed father of Venus and Serena Williams who had a plan to make his daughters the greatest tennis players in the world.

King Richard is a 2021 American biographical drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin. It follows the life of Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, who served as executive producers of the film. It stars Will Smith in the title role, with Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal.

It premiered at the 48th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021, and was theatrically released on November 19, 2021 by Warner Bros. Pictures and on the HBO Max streaming service. It has grossed $30 million at the box office and received positive reviews, with praise for the performances of Smith, Ellis and Sidney.

It was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review; the latter also awarded Best Actor to Smith and Best Supporting Actress to Ellis. It earned six nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It earned seven nominations at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture. It earned six nominations at the 27th Critics’ Choice Awards (including Best Picture), and four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama), winning Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Smith.

King Richard cast

Directed by	Reinaldo Marcus Green
Written by	Zach Baylin
Produced by	Tim White, Trevor White, Will Smith
Starring	Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal
Cinematography	Robert Elswit
Edited by	Pamela Martin
Music by	Kris Bowers
Production companies	Westbrook Studios, Star Thrower Entertainment, Keepin’ It Reel
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	September 2, 2021 (Telluride)November 19, 2021 (United States)
Running time	145 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$50 million
Box office	$32.2 million

King Richard official trailer

“It feels so good to be alive.” Based on the true story of Venus and Serena Williams that will inspire the world, watch the new trailer for #KingRichard, starring Will Smith and featuring “Be Alive” by Beyoncé. Coming soon to cinemas.

King Richard Cast

• Will Smith as Richard Williams
• Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene “Brandy” Price
• Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams
• Demi Singleton as Serena Williams
• Jon Bernthal as Rick Macci
• Tony Goldwyn as Paul Cohen
• Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew as Tunde Price
• Danielle Lawson as Isha Price
• Layla Crawford as Lyndrea Price
• Erika Ringor as Mrs. Strickland
• Dylan McDermott as Will Hodges
• Andy Bean as Laird Stabler
• Kevin Dunn as Vic Braden
• Craig Tate as Bells (Homeboy #1)
• Josiah Cross as TD (Homeboy #2)
• Calvin Clausell Jr. as Homeboy #3
• Vaughn W. Hebron as Homeboy #4
• Christopher Wallinger as John McEnroe
• Chase Del Rey as Pete Sampras
• Judith Chapman as Nancy Reagan
• Jessica Wacnik as Jennifer Capriati
• Katrina Begin as Anne (Women’s Tennis Association CEO)
• Kaitlyn Christian as Shaun Stafford
• Marcela Zacarías as Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
• Rich Sommer as Patrick Dougherty
• Erin Cummings as Social Worker

King Richard Plot

Richard Williams lives in Compton, California with his wife Brandy, his three step-daughters, and his two daughters, Venus and Serena. Richard aspires to turn Venus and Serena into professional tennis players; he has prepared a plan for success since before they were born. Richard and Brandy coach Venus and Serena on a daily basis, while also working as a security guard and a nurse, respectively. Richard works tirelessly to find a professional coach for the girls, creating brochures and videotapes to advertise their skills, but has not had success.

One day, Richard takes the girls to see coach Paul Cohen, who is in the middle of practicing with John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. Despite his initial reservations, he agrees to watch the girls practice, and is impressed. However, the Williamses cannot afford professional coaching, and Paul refuses to coach both girls for free; he selects Venus to receive his coaching, while Serena continues to practice with Brandy. Paul encourages Venus to participate in juniors tournaments. She quickly finds success, but Richard stresses to Venus and her sisters to remain humble despite their success. At one of Venus’s tournaments, Serena also signs up to play, unbeknownst to Richard. As both girls continue to succeed, the family are treated as outsiders among the predominantly white, upper-class competition. Richard meets with high-profile agents, but, fearing that his daughters will be taken advantage of, pulls them out of the junior circuit entirely. Paul warns him that his decision will destroy the girls’ chances to turn pro, but Richard stands firm, firing Paul as coach.

Coach Rick Macci travels to California to see the girls play. Impressed, he takes the girls on, and the family relocates to Florida to train at his facility. Richard surprises Rick by reiterating that the girls will not play juniors, instead training and attending school like normal children. In the ensuing three years, questions arise from the media and from Rick about Richard’s strategy with the girls and his desire for media exposure. Venus tells Rick that she wants to turn pro. Richard reluctantly agrees, but later reneges, worrying that she will suffer a similar fate to Rick’s pupil Jennifer Capriati, who is allegedly suffering from burnout and has been arrested for drug possession. The decision strains Richard’s relationships with Venus, Brandy, and Rick. After an argument with Brandy, he reconciles with Venus, agreeing to let her play in the upcoming Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. Before the tournament, the family meets with a Nike executive, who offers them a major sponsorship deal worth 3 million dollars. Rick urges them to accept, but the family collectively agrees to decline, believing that once Venus begins to play she will attract more lucrative offers.

Venus initially struggles in her first professional match against Shaun Stafford, but eventually triumphs. She comes in as a heavy underdog in her next match against top-seeded Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Venus takes the first set and leads in the second before Vicario takes an extended bathroom break, an apparent act of gamesmanship. Vicario recovers to win the second set and the match. Richard and Brandy comfort a dejected Venus, telling her to be proud. As the family leaves the stadium, a large crowd of supporters is waiting to cheer her on, and Rick tells Richard that several major shoe companies are anxious to meet with Venus.

An epilogue reveals that nine months later, at the age of 15 Venus would sign a contract with Reebok for 12 million dollars (equivalent to $21,000,000 in 2020). She would go on to win Wimbledon five times and become the first African American woman to be ranked number one in the world during the Open Era. Serena, who joined Venus as a professional two years later, would become a 23-time Grand Slam champion and considered perhaps the greatest player in tennis history, just as Richard predicted.

Theatrical release poster

Ayan Broomfield was the body double for select scenes of Venus Williams matches.

King Richard Release

The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021, and was released on November 19, 2021, in theaters and on HBO Max. It was previously scheduled to be released on November 25, 2020, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was chosen to close the AFI Fest on November 14, 2021; that same day, it closed the New Orleans Film Festival’s live screenings. By the end of its run, it will have also screened at film festivals in London, Chicago, Savannah, Miami, Indianapolis, Denver, Middleburg, Philadelphia, Sydney, Toruń, and Morelia. The film will also open the 25th American Black Film Festival (ABFF), with president and general manager Nicole Friday describing King Richard as “a film that is a touchstone of ABFF’s legacy of showcasing extraordinary Black talent and inspiring storytelling reflecting the brilliance of diversity in Hollywood.”

The film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD February 8, 2022 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film will be also a 4K Ultra HD copies of the film will be released through Warner Archive Collection on February 8, 2022.

King Richard Box office

As of February 1, 2022, King Richard has grossed $14.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $17.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $32.2 million.

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and was projected to gross $8–10 million from 3,250 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $1.9 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $5.7 million. The low figure was attributed to the 145 minute runtime, as well as the film’s availability on HBO Max. The film made $4.8 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame, including $3.3 million (-33%) in its second weekend, finishing seventh. In its third weekend, the film earned $1.2 million, finishing ninth. King Richard dropped out of the box office top ten in its fourth weekend, earning at least half a million dollars and finishing twelfth.