Kanye West, Kobe Bryant, & More Buy Out Theatres Screening "Just Mercy"

The highly anticipated film Just Mercy starring Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan had its wide release on Friday, and plenty of celebrities took it upon themselves to make sure everybody gets the chance to see this powerful movie. Based on a true story, Just Mercy follows the Harvard-graduate lawyer, Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan), who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, as he first sets out to help defend those wrongly condemned or without proper representation. One of his first cases involves a man named Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx), who has been sentenced to death after being wrongfully accused of murdering a white woman. The film also stars Brie Larson, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Melson, and is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.

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The story resonates with so many, which is why a great deal of the famous and wealthy were inspired to buy out entire theatres across the country in order to offer free admission to screenings of Just Mercy. These stars include Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Kobe Bryant, Common, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Garrett Temple from the Brooklyn Nets, and Devin and Jason McCourty from the New England Patriots. Plenty of companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs also forked over the cash for these screenings, as did entire sports teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and the Atlanta Falcons. These generous acts will allow folks to witness the impactful story on screen, who otherwise may not have been able to afford to purchase a ticket.