Synopsis

Set in rural Georgia in 1935, Idlewild follows lifelong friends Percival and Rooster as they work at the Church, a lively speakeasy threatened by criminal interests. Percival, a reserved piano player, struggles between family responsibilities and his love for Angel, while Rooster fights to preserve the club and pursue his ambitions. Their personal and professional conflicts unfold through stylized musical performances.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film began as an idea developed by OutKast and their creative collaborators after the release of Aquemini. Two early music-video treatments eventually became the foundation for the feature.

• Principal photography took place in and around Wilmington, North Carolina, including locations in Burgaw, Orton Plantation, and St. James Episcopal Parish.

• Idlewild was originally conceived as a much smaller HBO project intended for cable television. After Universal executives saw early footage, the project expanded into a theatrical release.

• The production's musical style deliberately mixes 1930s blues, jazz, swing, and jump blues with contemporary hip-hop and funk. The clash of periods is part of the film's central visual and musical identity.

• Hinton Battle choreographed the dance sequences, which draw heavily on period styles such as the Lindy Hop and jitterbug.

• The companion album Idlewild was released on August 22, 2006, three days before the film opened in theaters. Although marketed as the soundtrack, the record also contains songs that do not appear in the movie.

• The movie's songs include performances by Macy Gray and additional contributions from artists such as Norah Jones, Sleepy Brown, Patti LaBelle, and Cab Calloway's Orchestra recordings.

• The film marked the first movie appearance together for OutKast members Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton. Their characters were intentionally kept apart in many scenes so the performers would register as fictional personalities rather than simply as the music duo.