The "Kata The Iron Thorn" Film Project and Novel is a major motion picture and novel that will generate millions of dollars in trade. "Kata" is pronounced Kah-tah.
Kata, The Iron Thorn, is a Superhero and Spooky Family Fantasy Story with a non-violence theme. Though the story takes place in Present Day, it flashes back to a legendary tale that takes place during the Age of Piracy to dramatically reflect on the persistent issues of violence, greed, ignorance, race, and prejudice. The Kata story uniquely reflects on these pressing issues with wit and humor. The story makes a positive Me Too statement as well.
The story takes place in the 21st century but flashes back to Kata's legend, the Supernatural Jamaican Warrior that battled Pirates and Ghosts (Duppies) in 1655, Jamaica. The story has a crucial Philadelphia tie-in and is suitable for all ages!
I have written the Kata screenplay in honor of my Father, the world-renowned anthropologist, Reverend Doctor Leonard E. Barrett, Sr. (1920-2003).
"Kata" mixes up the Fantasy Film genres, which will make it a fun and exciting movie-going experience. The film primarily takes place in the present-day, with a love story, making it a Contemporary and Romantic Fantasy. It is also a Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, as the movie has a quest to find a magic sword (the "Iron Thorn") similar to the King Arthur Fantasy. It is also a Pirate Adventure, which resonates with "The Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
I am convinced that the Kata story is the next big thing with the success of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and Marvel's hugely successful "Black Panther"!
The Kata story is inspired by the tales of Anansi The Trickster Spider, which is one of the most important characters in West African and Caribbean folklore and the history of the Jamaican Maroons who showed resistance, determination, and strength against all odds.
Recently, Dr. Carole Boyce Davies, a scholar at Cornell University, considered the similarities and differences between "Black Panther" and "Kata The Iron Thorn." In February of 2018, she wrote me and stated that she liked the Kata story better than the Black Panther story because she felt the Kata story more authentic and that it does not "skirt the political issues." In 2014, she wrote an excellent six-page review of Kata The Iron Thorn that anyone can read in the Kata screenplay review section. Dr. Davies is also a well-known film critic for The Guardian newspaper and other major publications.
"Black Panther" is the latest and most significant in a series of recent hits that feature black actors in significant roles, like "Hidden Figures" and "Get Out." People of color make up a disproportionate number of what the Motion Picture Association of America calls "frequent moviegoers" -- people who go to the movies once a month or more. Among African Americans in particular, the number of frequent moviegoers is up 27 percent since 2012. That number is down 21 percent among white audiences. Read the article here:
I sent my Kata Novel Manuscript to Elite Authors Publishing. They said that they love the Kata manuscript and describe it as, “a fast-paced fantasy similar to The Princess Bride, by William Goldman, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne. “
They said she believes it will be a big hit with the YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / Epic and YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Action & Adventure / on Amazon! They're going to promote it as "a fun, family-friendly thriller about a Philadelphia disc jockey who returns to Jamaica and discovers his true identity," among other descriptions.