Charm City Kings — Official Trailer

added: Wed, Sep 9th '20

"Charm City Kings" is the Sundance-winning coming-of-age, inner-city drama that is set in an economically struggling Baltimore community, where the story centers around African American teenagers who have formed street crews of illegal dirt bike riders.

The film, which is executive produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, was originally set to be released in theaters earlier this year. But due to the pandemic, the movie was re-acquired by HBO MAX from Sony Pictures Classics, and will now premiere next month on the new streaming service.

Directed by Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto (La Granja, aka The Farm), "Charm City Kings" stars Jahi Di'Allo Winston (from the short-lived Netflix sitcom "Everything Sucks! ") as Mouse, a young 14-year-old aspiring bike rider who tries to navigate the tough streets of his community while being drawn into the daredevil lifestyle of street bikes.

Co-starring Meek Mill, Will Catlett, Teyonah Parris, Donielle Tremaine Hansley, and Kezii Curtis, the film is a fictional tale but was inspired by the award-winning documentary "12 O'Clock Boys" by Lotfy Nathan.

"Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins co-wrote the original story idea with writers Chris Boyd & Kirk Sullivan, while television writer Sherman Payne (Shameless) wrote the screenplay.

"Charm City Kings" is being released on HBO MAX beginning October 8th.

synopsis:
In this gritty coming-of-age drama, fourteen-year-old Mouse (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) desperately wants to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt-bike riders who rule the summertime streets. His older brother, Stro, was their top rider before his tragic death -- a loss that consumes Mouse as much as his passion for bikes. Mouse’s mom (Teyonah Parris) and his police mentor, Detective Rivers (William Catlett), work overtime to help the charismatic teen reach his full potential, but when the Midnight Clique's leader, Blax (Meek Mill), takes the boy under his wing, the lure of revving his own dirt bike skids Mouse toward a road way past the straight and narrow.

directed by Angel Manuel Soto

starring Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Meek Mill, Will Catlett, Teyonah Parris, Chino Braxton, Lakeyria "Wheelie Queen" Doughty, Donielle Tremaine Hansley, Kezii Curtis, Chandler DuPont

release date October 8, 2020 (on HBO MAX)