Roger Ross Williams — director of the Oscar short-listed documentary “Life, Animated” — has taken over directing a doc on Harlem’s Apollo Theater from “Empire” co-creator Lee Daniels.
“Lee called me and said, ‘I can’t direct this — I have three TV series!’”
Williams told us at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch in LA. Williams filmed the theater’s tribute to Ella Fitzgerald — who won Apollo’s Amateur Night in 1934 — which included performances by Cassandra Wilson and Kevin Spacey.
Also at the brunch: Annette Bening, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Shannon.