Wikipedia

The Big Cigar

The Big Cigar is a biographical drama thriller miniseries developed by Jim Hecht, based on the 2012 Playboy article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman.[7][8] Following the events of the Black Panther Party in 1970s, the series is about party founder Huey P. Newton escaping from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to Cuba with the help of Bert Schneider for an elaborate plan.

The Big Cigar
Genre
Based on"The Big Cigar"
by Joshuah Bearman
Developed byJim Hecht
Directed by
Starring
ComposerRobert Glasper[2]
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada[a]
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Dan Kaplow
  • Adam Ben Frank
  • Joshua Levey[c]
Production locations
Cinematography
Editors
  • John Peter Bernardo
  • Avril Beukes
  • Kyle Bond
  • Rebecca Valente
Running time39 minutes[6]
Production companies
Original release
NetworkApple TV+
ReleaseMay 17 (2024-05-17) –
June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)

The miniseries stars André Holland, Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P. J. Byrne, and Marc Menchaca. The Big Cigar premiered its first two episodes on Apple TV+ on May 17, 2024,[9] and received generally positive reviews from critics. The series concluded on June 14, 2024.

Premise

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Set in 1974,[10] the series chronicles the manhunt for Huey P. Newton, the founder of the Black Panther Party, who seeks the help of film producer Bert Schneider as he tries to escape to Cuba.

Cast

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Main

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  • André Holland as Huey P. Newton: The main protagonist, who is the founder of The Black Panther Party.
  • Alessandro Nivola as Bert Schneider: The film and television producer. He and his business partner Steve Blauner hid Newton due to him being convicted of murder and assault.
  • Tiffany Boone as Gwen Fontaine: The wife of Huey P. Newton who is a party member.
  • P. J. Byrne as Stephen Blauner: Bert's business partner and childhood friend. He and Bert helped and collaborate with Huey on a series of wild schemes.
  • Marc Menchaca as Sydney Clark: An FBI agent dressed as a hippie who never gives up interrogating the organization, family members and anybody related to Huey.

Recurring

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Guest

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Episodes

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No.Title [7]Directed byTeleplay by [7]Original release date [11]
1"Panther/Producer"Don Cheadle[12]Jim HechtMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Huey P. Newton, who co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966, was convicted of allegedly murdering a police officer in 1968, but was released around two years later, was again targeted by the FBI in 1974 for a deadly violent crime. On his escape from the investigators, the African-American activist turns to Hollywood producer Bert Schneider, who has supported him and his movement for some time. Huey and his partner Gwen Fontaine find shelter with Schneider's business partner Steve Blauner for the time being. Since the search pressure is constantly increasing, Huey decides to flee to Cuba.
2"The Cuban"Don Cheadle[12]Janine Sherman Barrois & Jim HechtMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Preparations for a crazy escape plan begin. Under the pretense of making a film called "The Big Cigar", Bert wants to smuggle his friend Huey to Cuba. Steve is skeptical about the risky venture. Not least because he fears for his existence. It soon becomes apparent that not all of the people involved are reliable. Flashbacks illuminate the disputes within the Black Panther Party, which primarily revolve around the question of the use of weapons.
3"Guns & Matzah"Damon ThomasLaurence Andries & Gwendolyn M. ParkerMay 24, 2024 (2024-05-24)
After the pilot they bought fails, Bert and Huey come up with a new plan. The FBI is closing in on the Black Panther Party co-founder. Schneider approaches his brother Stanley, who runs Columbia Pictures, with a request. There's a fight between Bert and Steve. In a diner, the complications take a bloody course. Flashbacks reveal Huey's growing paranoia.
4"What Are Friends For?"Damon ThomasJanine Sherman Barrois & Jim HechtMay 31, 2024 (2024-05-31)
After the diner shooting, Bert fears the worst, but is relieved when things turn out a little differently. The excitement does not bode well for the plan to take Huey to Cuba from Los Angeles on a private plane. Because the FBI in the form of Agent Sydney Clark comes to the correct conclusions he is now more vigilant than ever. When Schneider loses focus while searching for a getaway car, Steve makes an unexpected decision. A year earlier, Huey let his friend and party co-founder Bobby Seale know what he thought of his political ambitions.
5"Lost Paradise"Tiffany JohnsonLaurence Andries & Valerie Woods & Ameer HasanJune 7, 2024 (2024-06-07)
After he and Steve escape to Mexico, Huey is supposed to hide in a port city for some time. Huey doesn't like this idea at all. The fear of being caught is omnipresent and devastating news doesn't take long to arrive. Bert struggles with feelings of guilt and is also visited by fate. Agent Clark goes his own way. Flashbacks reveal the background to Huey's escape from Oakland.
6"The Pirate"Tiffany JohnsonJim Hecht & Joshuah BearmanJune 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
Huey, his partner Gwen Fontaine and Steve appear to be trapped, then the tide turns. Once again a plan has to be thrown overboard. Bert becomes more involved in the Black Panther Party co-founder's escape but is met with suspicion. With support, Agent Clark comes closer to his big goal. Will Huey still make it safely to the coast of Cuba? Series Finale.

Production

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It was announced in December 2012 that Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris were set to direct the project for Sony Pictures, at the time developed as a film, with Joshuah Bearman, author of the source article, and Jim Hecht set to write the screenplay.[13]

The project, now a miniseries, was given a greenlight from Apple TV+ in April 2022, with André Holland cast to star. Don Cheadle was announced to be directing the first two episodes in addition to executive producing.[12] In June, Tiffany Boone and Alessandro Nivola joined the cast,[14][15] with Marc Menchaca and P. J. Byrne joining the next month.[16][17] In August, Jordane Christie, Moses Ingram, Olli Haaskivi and Glynn Turman were cast to recur in the series.[18][19][20][21] Additional recurring cast including Jaime Ray Newman and Noah Emmerich was announced in September.[22]

Filming for the series began in Toronto in June 2022, as revealed by showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois.[23] By August, production was occurring throughout Hamilton, Ontario, where Hamilton City Hall was being used as a double for San Francisco International Airport.[24]

Reception

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Critical response

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On Variety, author Aramide Tinubu wrote that, "André Holland is stellar as Huey P. Newton, but 'The Big Cigar' never ignites".[25]

Judy Berman of Time Magazine gave a favorable review and wrote, "That Newton's wariness of mass culture frames the story from the very beginning is a sign that viewers are in for something much smarter, bolder, and more challenging than the entertainment industry's typical, sanitized take on radical politics".[26]

Elisa Guimaraes of Collider gave the series 3 out of 4 stars. She praised Holland for his depiction of Huey P. Newton.[27]

The Guardian writer Ellen E. Jones also gave the show 3 out of 5 star rating. She criticized "that Hollywood can't be trusted to tell the stories of Black radicals".[28]

Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a favorable review about the actor André Holland stating that he "does a brilliant job of capturing the complicated and charismatic Black Panthers co-founder".[29]

Nadir Samara from Screen Rant gave the series a average review of a 3 out of 5 stars, stating that the series is decent but criticized the script due to it being "all over the place, neither the story nor the performance hit their peaks".[30]

Rory Doherty from Paste Magazine wrote that the series "is a slick caper that only superficially grasps its history lesson".[31]

On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[32]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 72% with an average rating of 6.5/10, based on 29 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A magnetic performance from André Holland gets The Big Cigar close to lighting up, but a lack of narrative focus slightly dampens the spark."[33]

Notes

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  1. ^ Sources differ regarding the country or countries of origin. Some indicate that the United States is the sole country of origin, while others list it as a co-production of the United States and Canada.[3][4]
  2. ^ a b c d co-executive
  3. ^ supervising producer

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Big Cigar - Cast and Crew - Apple TV+" (Press release). Apple TV+. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  2. ^ The Big Cigar - Film Music Reporter
  3. ^ a b c d "The Big Cigar (TV Miniseries)". FilmAffinity.
  4. ^ "Watch The Big Cigar - Apple TV+". Apple TV+. 17 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "The Big Cigar Filming Locations". Filmiloc. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  6. ^ Martin, Peter (2024-05-16). "Now Streaming Review: THE BIG CIGAR, Rude, Rowdy, Righteous". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  7. ^ a b c "The Big Cigar". Writers Guild of America West. January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (2024-03-14). "'The Big Cigar': Premiere Date & First Look At André Holland As Black Panther Leader Huey P. Newton In Apple Limited Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  9. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (December 26, 2022). "The 10 Most Anticipated New Scripted TV Shows Coming in 2023". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  10. ^ Topel, Fred (2024-05-15). "'Big Cigar' cast looks back on Black Panthers leader's flight to Cuba". UPI. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  11. ^ "Shows A-Z – The Big Cigar on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c White, Peter (April 7, 2022). "André Holland Set To Star As Black Panther Boss Huey Newton In The Big Cigar For Apple From Janine Sherman Barrois, Don Cheadle, Jim Hecht & Warner Bros. TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  13. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 12, 2012). "Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris Attached To Helm Huey Newton Pic The Big Cigar". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (June 15, 2022). "Tiffany Boone Joins Andre Holland In Apple's Huey P. Newton Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  15. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 27, 2022). "Alessandro Nivola To Co-Star With André Holland in The Apple Original Limited Series The Big Cigar". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  16. ^ Grobar, Matt (July 5, 2022). "Ozark Actor Marc Menchaca Joins Apple TV+'s The Big Cigar As Series Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  17. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 6, 2022). "Apple's Huey P. Newton Series Big Cigar Casts P.J. Byrne as Steve Blauner (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  18. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 1, 2022). "The Big Cigar: Jordane Christie Joins Apple TV+'s Huey P. Newton Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  19. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 2, 2022). "Obi-Wan Kenobis Moses Ingram Joins Apple's Limited Series The Big Cigar As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  20. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 18, 2022). "The Big Cigar: Oppenheimers Olli Haaskivi Latest To Join Apple Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  21. ^ Grobar, Matt (August 19, 2022). "The Big Cigar: Emmy Winner Glynn Turman To Play Huey P. Newton's Father In Apple TV+ Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  22. ^ Grobar, Matt (September 1, 2022). "The Big Cigar: Jaime Ray Newman, Noah Emmerich, John Doman, Chris Brochu & Breton Edwards Allen Round Out Cast Of Apple Series In Recurring Roles". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  23. ^ Janine Sherman Barrois on Instagram: @doncheadle @nicoleburkead & #moi #toronto #thebigcigar
  24. ^ Nolan, Daniel (August 12, 2022). "Apple TV+'s The Big Cigar brings Black Panther Party's Huey P. Newton to Hamilton". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  25. ^ Tinubu, Aramide (May 17, 2024). "'The Big Cigar' Review: Huey Newton Series Doesn't Center the Activist". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  26. ^ Berman, Judy (May 16, 2024). "Black Panthers Meet New Hollywood in the Bold, Thrilling Series The Big Cigar". Time. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  27. ^ Guimaraes, Elisa (May 16, 2024). "'The Big Cigar' Review: Apple TV+ Miniseries Is More Political Drama Than Wild Caper". Collider. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  28. ^ Jones, Ellen E. (May 17, 2024). "The Big Cigar review – proof that Hollywood can't be trusted to tell the stories of Black radicals". The Guardian. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  29. ^ Roeper, Richard (May 16, 2024). "In well-made series 'The Big Cigar,' Huey P. Newton plots 'Argo'-style escape to Cuba". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  30. ^ Samara, Nadir (May 16, 2024). "The Big Cigar Review: Apple TV+'s Take On The Manhunt For Huey Newton Doesn't Always Land". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  31. ^ Doherty, Rory (May 16, 2024). "The Big Cigar Is a Slick Caper That Only Superficially Grasps Its History Lesson". Paste Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  32. ^ "The Big Cigar". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  33. ^ "The Big Cigar". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
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