Lee Daniels

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

Dir. Lee Daniels · With Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo

In Harlem in 1987, Claireece "Precious" Jones is a 16-year-old African American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father, and at home she must wait hand and foot on her mother, an angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is chaotic and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and a secret – she can't read.

Dir. Lee Daniels · With Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton

Star is a tough-as-nails young woman who came up in the foster care system and decides one day to take control of her destiny. She tracks down her sister, Simone, and her Instagram bestie, Alexandra, and together, the trio journeys to Atlanta with the hope of becoming music superstars.

Dir. Tom Donaghy, Lee Daniels · With Jude Demorest, Brittany O'Grady, Ryan Destiny

Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children.

Dir. Lee Daniels · With Andra Day, Glenn Close, Anthony B. Jenkins

A powerful family drama about the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne.

Dir. Danny Strong, Lee Daniels · With Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Y. Gray

Billie Holiday spent much of her career being adored by fans. In the 1940s, the government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial ballad, "Strange Fruit."

Dir. Lee Daniels · With Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund

A reporter returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate.

Dir. Lee Daniels · With Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman