The first trailer for the biography film Selma, centered around the civil rights peace marches orchestrated by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965, was released Friday on the entertainment media group BlackTree TV’s YouTube page.
The trailer reveals the film’s central plot, where King Jr., played by The Help’s David Oyelowo, is participating and influencing nonviolent protests around the country. King Jr. is shown seeking help for the movement from President Lyndon B. Johnson (The Patriot’s Tom Wilkinson), who turns him away and tells him to not take his protests into rural Alabama. From this conversation, King Jr. decides to march into Selma, Ala.
The trailer also reveals the struggles Martin Luther King Jr. faced while participating in the non-violent protests, including receiving death threats and being jailed. Oyelowo’s performance of the late King Jr. is already worth mentioning, as his mannerisms and inflection to his voice match the pastor, who was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
The film also stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey, who is also producing the film. Ava DuVernay directed the film from first-time screenwriter Paul Webb’s script. Along with Winfrey, actor Brad Pitt is also co-producing the film.
Selma releases in theaters Jan. 9, 2015 in the United States.
Image courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com