Academy
Award®-nominated filmmaker Reginald
Hudlin was overwhelmed with emotion as he read the pages of a script that was
inspired by the life of former Clemson football safety Ray McElrathBey. “Every
20 pages I had to stop and walk around the house and then pick it up again. I
was like oh my God…I gotta go to work. I can’t deny the power of the story!”
On Friday, 12/11/20 Disney+
released “Safety”, an empowering story that brings audiences to tears as
it follows Ray, a young man facing a series of challenging circumstances, whose
dedication and persistence help him to triumph over repeated adversities. Aided
by his teammates and the Clemson community, he succeeds on the field while
simultaneously raising and caring for his 11-year-old
brother Fahmarr.
The soundtrack
includes the original song “Hold Us Together” performed by Grammy®-winning
singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist H.E.R. The Safety Original Soundtrack features
score by critically acclaimed Grammy®-winning jazz musician/producer and
composer Marcus Miller (“Marshall”).
Our Nicole Haynes sat down with Ray McelrathBey
and Reginald Hudlin (“Marshall”, “Boomerang” “Django Unchained” “House Party”)
to discuss how Ray is processing the impact of seeing his life play out on the
big screen. Reginald shares insight on how the film was made and why audiences
need to see this movie.
Nicole also sat down with the film’s dynamic cast
of Jay Reeves (“All American,” “The Tax Collector”) who stars as Ray, newcomer
Thaddeus J. Mixson who stars as Ray’s younger brother Fahmarr and Corinne Foxx
(Jamie Foxx’s daughter) who stars as Ray’s friend Kaycee.
Be sure to check out this heartwarming film
about the power of love and family, now streaming now on Disney+.
