Ask any film critic right now what they think might win Best Picture next year and most, if not all, will likely mention Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation. The historical drama swept this year’s Sundance Film Festival, walking away with $17.5 million dollars after Fox Searchlight won the tense bidding war — and for good reason.
Passion projects like these are all too rare. Parker wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the feature film about the life and death of literate slave and renown preacher Nat Turner, and the end result is, what our own Justin Gerber called, “a debut that won’t be forgotten any time soon,” in his A- review.
In addition to Parker, who will undoubtedly get strong looks for Best Actor, the film also stars Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Gabrielle Union.
It’s half a year away, but the film finally has a trailer, and it’s gorgeous.
The Birth Of A Nation hits theaters on October 7th via Fox Searchlight.
