Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington shine in new trailer for Malcolm Washington’s ‘The Piano Lesson’
Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Erykah Badu, Gail Bean, Corey Hawkins, Michael Potts, Skylar Aleece Smith, and Jerrika Hinton round out the cast.
The first trailer for the film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Piano Lesson” was released on Wednesday.
The Netflix movie is directed and co-written by Malcolm Washington, Denzel Washington’s youngest son. “The Piano Lesson” is a family affair with Denzel Washington producing and John David Washington taking on the role of Boy Willie Charles. Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins round out the cast.
“The Piano Lesson” explores “the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence – revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy,” according to the official synopsis.
The film follows Boy Willie Charles, who wants to “build the family fortune by selling a prized heirloom piano.” His sister, Berniece Charles (Deadwyler), “will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage,” while their uncle (Jackson) “tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.”
Malcolm Washington said in a statement that he wants to “honor the spirit of August Wilson and the legacy he left behind for all of us” with the film, which was co-written by Virgil Williams.
“A legacy that thrives in the power of Danielle Deadwyler’s Berniece, the dynamism of John David Washington’s Boy Willie, and the understated brilliance that is Samuel L. Jackson’s Doaker,” Malcolm Washington said, per a press release.
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“Every family has a history, stories from the past that inform the present; an origin story. Ultimately this story is much bigger than me and my family — it, like the Black American experience, is an interconnected web of stories that span space and time.” the director added. “I hope that when audiences experience our film, they see themselves on the screen and hear the voices of their ancestors calling to them, offering peace and protection.”
“The Piano Lesson” will premiere in select theaters on Nov. 8 and will be available to stream on Netflix on Nov. 22.
Check out the first look photos below:
