RaMell Ross on Nickel Boys: Colson Whitehead’s Masterpiece on the Screen

On this episode, we were joined by Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross, director and co-writer of Nickel Boys, the new screen adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Rated five stars by The Times and The Guardian, hailed as a "masterpiece" by The Independent, and recently named Best Film of 2024 by the National Society of Film Critics, Ross' film is a transformative adaptation of Whitehead's novel, employing a first-person POV that faithfully translates the book's prose experience into the language of cinema.

RaMell spoke to us about the daunting task of adapting the work of a literary icon, his unique journey from potential NBA prospect to artist, his love of J.D. Salinger, and whether genre-oriented books make for the most successful screen adaptations.