Tyler Perryhas begun rolling the cameras on his next project,Six Triple Eight,a World War II drama about a key yet lesser-known aspect of the second world war involving the bravery of a group of Black women who joined the American army in order to serve a unique non-combat purpose of keeping communication alive between soldiers and their families back home. Today, Perry revealed a first look at the film sharing a behind-the-scenes image of himself and the actresses portraying women who made up the 6888th Postal Directory Battalion.
One of the images spotlightsKerry Washingtonas MajorCharity Adams,the leader of the battalion who by the end of the war was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, making her the highest-ranking Black woman in the Army. She’s dressed in a long coat in khaki colors, wears a beret, and has a maroon leather purse slung across her shoulders. Another photo shows Perry in a group photo with the actresses playing the 855 brave women that made up the titular battalion. “To honor the long ignored worth of the 6888 has been the greatest privilege of my career thus far,” Perry captioned the photo posted to social media.
Enduring discrimination and prejudice that saw them working in unfavorable conditions, the patriotic women of the 6888th battalion fulfilled in record time the task of sorting a three-years-old backlog of mail, which came to about 17 million, and delivering them to soldiers in various war-torn areas where they were stationed. It was a service that had a morale-boosting effect on the front-line soldiers who had communication lines to their loved ones restored after a three-year dormancy. This inspiring story is one that has been overshadowed by other World War II events, but Perry is now bringing the selfless sacrifice of these women to the spotlight. The women recently received a much-deserved national recognition when on March 14th, 2022, PresidentJoe Bidensigned the bill for the women to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’s highest honor.
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In addition to Washington,Six Triple Eightwill feature an ensemble cast that includesEbony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Jeanté Godlock, Moriah Brown, Dean Norris, Scott Daniel Johnsonamong others.Perry based the film on an article byKevin M. Hymelpublished in WWII History Magazine by Sovereign Media. He will also direct and produce alongsideNicole Avantfor Her Excellency Productions;Keri Seligfor Intuition Productions;Carlota Espinosa;Angi BonesandTony Stricklandfor Tyler Perry Studios. Executive Producers includePeter Guberfor Mandalay Pictures and Kerry Washington.
Six Triple Eightis set to premiere on Netflix, but doesn’t yet have a release date.
Check out the detailed official synopsis for the film and more images below:
“Six Triple Eighttells the inspiring true story of the incredible and brave women of the only all-black, all-female World War 2 Battalion. These 855 women joined the war effort with little knowledge of what exactly they would be doing, but were quickly given the mission of a lifetime: sort through and fix the three-year backlog of undelivered mail. A herculean task, that most thought to be impossible, the women not only succeeded but did it in half the time they were given. Facing discrimination, unfamiliar land, and a war-torn country, they persevered and sorted over 17 million pieces of mail, reconnecting American soldiers with their families and loved ones back home. The motto that kept them going each day was one they created themselves: “No Mail, Low Morale.” The women of the 6888 weren’t just delivering mail, they were delivering hope.”
