#mark wolper

“Roots” (1977); prod. Stan Margulies, exec. prod. David L. Wolper

[Mark] Wolper said he approached the redo as a movie because “the bar in television is set so high… we needed powerful directors to come in and do it, and the only way it could happen is if we told them it’s a film.” He noted that each night is independent of the other, but “connected by four generations of the Kunte Kinte/Alex Haley family.”

Wolper spoke about the relevance of TV and film in terms of bringing awareness. “Clearly there are problems and issues in America. You can’t resolve the problems unless you understand why the problems are here. The best way to communicate, I think to anybody, is through film. …. We can use television, not just to entertain, but to do so much more. To provoke conversations, to educate, and to get my 16-year-old kid to want to watch this story and care about what it says.

Added [Mario Van] Peebles: “If you don’t make film that starts a conversation or provokes a conversation, than you are wasting space. With [Roots] we went there. It’s going to be a conversation starter.” - Deadline’s The Contenders Emmys Panel Apr 11, 2016