Forest Whitaker - Forest Whitaker cast in Black Nativity

Forest Whitaker cast in Black Nativity

Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Jennifer Hudson have been cast in 'Black Nativity'.

The three stars have signed up to appear in Kasi Lemmons' forthcoming festive musical, Blackfilm.com has revealed.

The film - which is based on Langston Hughes' gospel musical that was first performed on Broadway in 1961 - follows a young black teenager from Baltimore who is sent by his single mother to spend Christmas with the grandparents he has never met in Harlem. He learns about the importance of faith and family through his preacher grandfather's Christmas Eve sermon and a dream-sequence retelling of the Nativity story.

As previously speculated, Jennifer will play the boy's mother and Angela the grandmother.

Samuel L. Jackson was previously linked to the role of the grandfather, which will now be played by Forest.

Actor/director Lemmons is also writing the film.

Forest can next be seen in 'The Last Stand' alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in the lead role of 'The Butler'.

Meanwhile, Angela's next role is in 'Olympus Has Fallen' and singer-and-actress Jennifer will appear in 'The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete'.