The Producers (1968)

I’ve not seen The Producers, nor its remake and the hugely successful Broadway show.  But I know the premise.  It’s one of the classic premises in the history of comedy: two producers, aiming to collect profits, put on a show they believe destined to fail. They call it 'Springtime for Hitler.’ But in a shocking turn of events, the musical ends up becoming a huge hit. Instead of offending audiences, it reels them in. It’s a great storyline because it basically seethes satire while depicting American hypocrisy at its finest.

It’s the closest thing I can think of to American Fiction, a new comedy-drama starring Jeffrey Wright, written and directed by Cord Jefferson. I was not aware of Jefferson before this feature film, but he has quite the resume with writer credits on projects such as Station Eleven and Watchmen to name a few. The latter of which he won a writing Emmy for back in 2020. 

Like The Producers, American Fiction is about someone who creates something he believes to be a poor and offensive product only to have it thrown back into his face when it's well-received by the public. With this movie however, there is also commentary about pervasive African-American stereotypes that lack depth and complexity, but appeal to predominantly white audiences.