Kansas University is planning a live online chat with KU associate professor of film and media studies Kevin Willmott this week — just before “Chi-Raq,” the film Willmott co-wrote with Spike Lee, opens in theaters nationwide.

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, KU will live stream on Meerkat a conversation with Willmott, who will talk about his work on the film. To watch, follow KU on Twitter (@KUNews) and submit questions before and during the live stream accompanied by the hashtag #KUchat.

Spike Lee is director of the film, and Willmott is an executive producer. The film’s cast list is full of big stars, including Nick Cannon, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, Wesley Snipes and Teyonah Parris. It opens Friday.

Read our film critic’s recent interview with Willmott about “Chi-Raq” over on Lawrence.com. (Here’s a later blog post containing the film trailer.) I also talked to Willmott in June about an earlier film, “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America,” that seemed sadly relevant again following the Charleston church shooting this summer.

According to KU’s news release about “Chi-Raq” and the upcoming chat, “Chi-Raq” addresses the staggering number of shootings in urban Chicago — but rather than taking a documentary or a dramatic approach, it’s a satire inspired by the ancient Greek comedy “Lysistrata.”

“You can check out of a drama. If you want to, you can say ‘that is not my world.’ Satire, if it is done right, makes everyone a little uncomfortable and a little more willing to take ownership of the problem,” Willmott said in the news release. “It’s not about women launching sex strikes, but it is about thinking outside the box and people finding new solutions that haven’t been used before.”

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