Moses the Black film returns to Chicago after alleged cancellation

The crime drama “Moses the Black,” starring Omar Epps and backed by 50 Cent, is scheduled to screen at a South Side Chicago community center following a previous abrupt cancellation.

Producers of the film, which was shot on Chicago’s West Side, claim the movie was pulled from nearly 300 theaters during the weekend of January 30. The filmmakers allege this occurred “under pressure” to accommodate the opening of the Jeff Bezos-backed documentary “Melania,” which premiered the same weekend.

Producer Alexandros Potter stated that the team received notification from distributor Fathom Entertainment—a company jointly owned by AMC Theaters, Regal, and Cinemark—just days before the expected premiere. While the distributor cited a lack of advance ticket sales at certain locations as the reason for pulling screens, the film's production team maintains the timing was linked to the release of the Melania Trump documentary.