An upcoming film, “The Burial,” will tell the real-life story of lawyer Willie E. Gary’s efforts in representing a funeral home owner in a lawsuit.
The film follows Gary — played by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx — and his “unlikely” bond with a Mississippi funeral home owner. The lawsuit ultimately exposes a “complex web of race, power and injustice,” according to details on Amazon Studios’ website.
Gary graduated from Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., with a bachelor’s degree and then earned a law degree from North Carolina Central University in 1974. He also donated millions to various HBCUs, including $10 million to his alma mater, Shaw.
Gary, who became known as “The Giant Killer,” earned a reputation throughout his law career for winning cases against major corporations, like a $240 million win against Disney in 2000.
“The Burial” will be released in select theaters on Oct. 6 and available on Oct. 20 for streaming on Amazon Prime.