It starred Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson, as well as Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett. Lemmons is also attached to direct the Apartheid-set drama Agaat, based on Marlene van Niekerk's novel, in addition to an adaptation of Zadie Smith's best-selling novel On Beauty. Lemmons explained during an interview that she considered writing to be central to her task as a director:
Marlene van Niekerk
Zadie Smith