There's a lot that can be said about Richard Williams and Will Smith's Academy Award-winning portrayal of the famous father in "King Richard," but the perspective that should be prioritized is that of the real life Williams family.
Smith was an early frontrunner for best actor contention from the moment "King Richard" premiered. The attention given to authentically retelling the story of how tennis powerhouses Venus and Serena Williams went from training in Compton in their youth to becoming two of the most dominant players in history meant that "King Richard" was quickly positioned as the go-to inspirational movie of 2021. Both Williams sisters were producers on the movie and had their say in how the story was told, but in a recent interview with Insider, Serena Williams has made it known that she hopes the cinematic stories of the Williams sisters' rise to glory doesn't end with the film focusing on the patriarch of the family.
The way Williams tells it, "King Richard" serves as the perfect origin story and launchpad for a series of films focusing on the separate paths of Venus and Serena. While the girls got their start together and won their fair share of doubles championships, both women have celebrated legendary singles runs. Outside of sports, it's important to remember that the Williams sisters are not a monolith, and each of them has their own story to tell.
"'King Richard' had a perfect ending with Venus on the tennis court," Serena Williams said, in reference to the end of the film showcasing Venus at her first professional tournament. Her instincts are right on point, as this ending feels like a sure preview of what's to come, and absolutely sets up a sequel.
Venus goes in her direction, and I go in my direction. It's two completely different stories," Serena said. She did speak in her interview about how difficult it would be to produce a biopic of her own story, given how much adversity she faced and how tough her battles were to get to where she is now. "I had a rough journey," she said. "I didn't do well and then I did. It's a lot of drama. It's a telenovela."
The talent possessed by both Venus and Serena Williams is undeniable, but the bigotry they faced as children unfortunately never went away. Their bodies, hair, clothing, and even genetic makeup have been scrutinized, hyper-analyzed, and even legislated against for years, long after they were at an age that required parental supervision.
"King Richard" is a wonderful movie, but it barely scratches the surface of the story of the Williams sisters. A cinematic universe would be a welcome addition to the canon of sports films, and if the sequels were anything like the first installment, we can be sure it'll be game, set, match.
