Production underway on Tyler Perry's World War II drama Six Triple Eight

Kerry Washington, Oprah Winfrey and Sam Waterston are set to star in Tyler Perry's World War II drama Six Triple Eight.

Six Triple Eight - Perry's fourth film for Netflix - tells the story of the war’s only all-black, all-female battalion. Perry also pens the screenplay. 

Joining the cast of Perry’s stellar-led ensemble includes: Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Pepi Sonuga, Sarah Jeffery, Shanice Shantay, Jay Reeves, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, Kylie Jefferson, Jeanté Godlock, Moriah Brown, Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon. Yes, that Oprah Winfrey. 

Netflix's plot summary reads: The 6888th Battalion contributed to the war effort in a unique way: by sorting through a three-year backlog of undelivered mail and delivering the mail to American soldiers far from home. In the face of discrimination and a vast, unfamiliar country divided by a global conflict, these 855 women brought hope to the front lines. “No mail, low morale” was the motto they gave themselves, and they fulfilled the promise of delivered mail (17m pieces of it) and morale when the United States needed it most.

In recent years, the story of the 6888th Battalion has finally been told. Perry’s script is based on a 2021 article by Kevin M. Hymel published in WWII History magazine, and President Joe Biden presented the 6888 with the Congressional Medal of Honor in March.  

Six Triple Eight is produced by Perry; Nicole Avant for Her Excellency Productions; Keri Selig for Intuition Productions; Carlota Espinosa; Angi Bones and Tony Strickland for Tyler Perry Studios. Mandalay Pictures’ Peter Guber executive produces the project alongside Washington.

Filming locations will be revealed during the course of production.