Blue Story

Blue Story is a 2019 British musical crime drama film written, directed, and narrated by Rapman (Andrew Onwubolu) through the medium of rap and starring Stephen Odubola and Micheal Ward, with Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Khali Best, Karla-Simone Spence, Richie Campbell, Jo Martin and Junior Afolabi Salokun in supporting roles. Serving as Rapman's feature directorial debut, the film is based on his 2014 YouTube series of the same name, which in turn is based on the real life gangs - the Peckham Boys and Ghetto Boys. The story follows best friends Marco (Ward) and Timmy (Odubola) who, from different areas of London (Peckham and Deptford), find themselves becoming enemies in a violent and insidious postcode war. Following the success of his three-part YouTube series Shiro's Story and signing with Jay-Z to Roc Nation, Rapman and BBC Films developed and co-financed the film, and in late 2018 Paramount Pictures bought worldwide distribution rights for the film. Principal photography began in February 2019 and lasted for 23 days. The film focuses on themes such as gang violence, friendship, betrayal, love, youth, and black masculinity. Blue Story was released in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2019 and was later released in the United States on 5 May 2020, after its original 20 March release date was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed £4.7 million on a budget of £1.4 million, making it the highest grossing British urban film of all time. At the 73rd British Academy Film Awards, the film earned one nomination, winning the BAFTA Rising Star for Ward and was short-listed alongside nine other films by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for the category of the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer but did not make it in the final nominations. At the 2020 NME Awards the film won two awards for Best Film and Best Film Actor for Ward.