It would be an understatement to claim that sisters Venus (played by Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (played by Demi Singleton) Williams are a tennis phenomenon. One might think that the default film treatment of their rise to superstardom would focus on… well them!

Behind every tennis star(s) there is a equally gifted tennis coach. Forget about the the great coaches like Rick Macci (played Jon Bernthal). It was the Williams sisters parents Oracene (played by Aunjanue Ellis) and Richard (played by Will Smith) which perfected their technique. Although both parents were instrumental in their children’s success, King Richard was the squeaky wheel that gained the most notoriety and became the main focus of the movie. Screenwriter Zach Baylin spoke to Creative Screenwriting Magazine about transforming his 2018 Blacklist script into a star-studded movie.

Baylin confessed to knowing a lot about the Williams sisters and a little bit about Richard. It was producer Tim White who was most interested in telling the Williams story through Richard’s lens. “Looking at the totality of Venus and Serena’s career, to me it wasn’t a movie,” confessed the screenwriter. “Watching them power their way through the tennis world wasn’t dramatically satisfying.” Instead he honed in what the Williams family went through and Richard’s outlandish plans for his daughters made a far better story. The adversity and improbability of their careers “had higher dramatic stakes and intensity. Richard was the central guiding force of this family’s story.” It was logical that he was the protagonist.

Richard Williams (Will Smith) & Zach Baylin. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Once Zach Baylin started researching Richard’s story in depth, he was hooked. He spend all weekend preparing his case to convince Tim White why he should write King Richard. He read Richard, Serena’s and Rick Macci books to immerse himself into their mindset. He supplemented his research by reading the countless articles in Sports Illustrated Magazine, especially to research Venus’ prodigy years. “The early 90s was the period where the Williams sisters were still safe, away from mega-stardom” he continued. “I could concentrate on how the Williams family was perceived.” The story of Richard formulating the coaching plan was already heavily documented. Tim White and Zach Baylin also interviewed some of Venus and Serena’s coaches to get a feeling of what they’re really like. Once his research was complete, “I could lean into Richard and write his character.”

Zach’s Blacklist script was in solid shape. He used the details of these subsequent interviews and archival articles to further expand on the details of Richard and Oracene’s and Venus and Serena’s relationship after meeting with them. After Will Smith committed to the project, Baylin secured interviews with the Williams family to obtain the finer details right based on first hand accounts. Richard was an outwardly-facing person, so meeting with Oracene, Venus and Serena was imperative to gain their perspectives and construct their characters. “Oracene was actually as big a part of coaching the girls as Richard. Richard taught himself how to play tennis by watching his daughters and then taught Oracene.” They would alternate and swap coaching duties.

Zach had to find a way for Oracene’s internal nature not to be drowned out by Richard’s verbosity and presence. “Even though she was in the shadows, she was no shrinking violet. She was just more measured and quiet with her work.”

An Unorthodox Tennis Coach

“King Richard was not your prototypical, overbearing sports coach,” said Baylin. “He coached with constant enthusiasm and encouragement. Both Oracene and Richard essentially ‘brainwashed’ the young Venus and Serena into thinking there was no alternative for them other than being the best tennis players in the world. It was almost pre-destined.” Both Oracene and Richard instilled their daughters with an unwavering confidence that would augment their technical skills.

Oracene “Brandy” Williams (Aunjanue Ellis). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Richard can be a highly contentious person often preferring his contradictory coaching techniques to those of established professional coaches. Despite the friction, the success of Venus and Serena was testament to Richard’s coaching style. “Richard ignored anyone who stood in the way of his objectives or were dismissive of his family.” Baylin quotes an example where Richard consults Venus to reject an offer from an agent. “I was attracted to the dichotomy of Richard’s character. He would either take his gloves off and stand his ground or play the buffoon to confuse the establishment.”

Richard’s sometimes larger than life personality risked pushing Venus, Serena and Oracene to the sidelines. It was a delicate task to give each of them enough of a character arc while maintaining Richard at center stage. “It was Reinaldo Green, the director, who filled out the character of the Williams household… even scenes which weren’t explicitly on the page.”

Essentially, King Richard is a family drama with tennis balls. “I never saw the film as a sports biopic. I saw it as a character study about a family collectively trying to achieve something,” mused Baylin. The aspirations and anxieties of parents raising their daughters was as important as their careers. They could play with some expectations of a sports film as well.

Serena (Demi Singleton), Venus (Saniyya Sidney) & Richard Williams (Will Smith). Photo by Chiabella James/ Warner Bros.

Zach Baylin also wanted to capture the Venus-Serena relationship at the time. There wasn’t much rivalry between them as might be expected. Venus was older and captured the limelight, but Serena would have her day on the court and become a world champion too. “Serena is aware that she’s on the sidelines and Richard comforts her by explaining that the delay is part of the plan.” Once Serena, who was younger than Venus matured, she would be ready for Venus to hand over the baton. At some point, Richard would have to step aside and allow Serena to take the center stage.

The screenwriter confessed that he found writing the first act of King Richard particularly challenging. “The dream that Richard and Oracene spent the last ten years trying to achieve was on the verge of failure. It was difficult to find that on the page.”

Zach is an avid tennis fan and plays the game regularly. His young daughter was the impetus to write a film about parenting though the lens of a sports film. “I’m also fascinated by sports prodigies. I identified with part of that dream.” This was was entry into Richard’s story.

The screenwriter admitted that one of his biggest fears of screenwriting was readers getting bored and not turn the page. At the vey least he’d settle for a reader curious to know what happens next in the story.

“I’m also drawn to grounded and emotional stories where the characters move through the real world.” This is true even in heightened genres like noir in which he writes.

King Richard is Zach Baylin’s first produced feature. The process has taught him to consider how what’s on the page might be filmed for the screen. Sound advice for his subsequent work. He also considers the movie-worthiness of a screenplay he writes. It’s not just about the craft. “I want a really compelling, complicated character in the minded of it who has a real desire to get something done. The world they move through must be so big and cinematic that I was going to fall in love with it.“