Michael K. Williams‘ legacy is living on thanks to new animated short film, “The Brown Dog.”
Williams, who died in 2021 of a drug overdose, lent his voice to the short which was commissioned by WeTransfer’s Academy Award-winning arts platform WePresent. Williams’ “Boardwalk Empire” co-star Steve Buscemi executive produced the film and also starred in the animated work.
“The Brown Dog” follows Nobody (Williams), a night-shift security guard for an upscale apartment complex. As Nobody works his shift, his feelings of isolation spark an existential crisis, and he later goes in search of a mysterious brown dog as his own mind seems to slip from him.
In a press statement, co-directors Nadia Hallgren (“Becoming”) and Jamie-James Medina deemed the film a “celebration of Mr. Williams and the deep truth he brought to every character he inhabited — only his voice could speak so quietly but profoundly to the experiences of those living on the margins of the American dream.”
“The Brown Dog” will debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in partnership with WeTransfer. A private screening will take place on June 8 before the short opens to the public at Tribeca on June 14, with subsequent showings on June 15 and 16. The film will make its official world premiere at American Black Film Festival on June 12, and its international premiere at Raindance Film Festival in London on June 25. The short will be released in the fall.
“Michael K. Williams was one of the finest actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, and a caring and loving human being to boot,” Buscemi told IndieWire. “His unique talent is on full display in this haunting and memorable performance of Nobody in ‘The Brown Dog.’ I’m grateful to the filmmakers for inviting my producing partner Wren Arthur and I to be a part of this powerful and poignant film. Long live the memory of Michael K.!”
Williams’ longtime representative Matt Goldman added that “The Brown Dog” is a poignant final posthumous role for the actor.
“The filmmakers have crafted a stunning portrait of sorrow in the ascendant, reminding us that Michael’s spirit and artistry are eternal,” Goldman said. “He would be incredibly proud of this film.”
“The Brown Dog” is animated by Fons Schiedon (“Mickey: The Story of a Mouse”) and features a score from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tyshawn Sorey. The short was produced by co-directors Hallgren, Medina, and Michael Stirton, with Buscemi, Arthur, Holly Fraser, Damian Bradfield, Alex Mattinson, and Phil van der Krogt executive producing. Willis Earl Beal wrote the script.
WeTransfer’s arts platform WePresent has commissioned short films such as Oscar-winning “The Long Goodbye” with Riz Ahmed.
Check out the trailer, exclusive to IndieWire, below.
