OMG! OMG! OMG! Those were the first words that came to mind when the new trailer for the Harriet Tubman biopic came across our screen this morning. The 2:47 clip kept us on the edge of our seat and we, for one, cannot wait to get our tickets and popcorn in tow to be first in line at the theater.
The Harriet biopic, from director Kasi Lemmons, casts 32 year old British actress, singer and songwriter, Cynthia Erivo as Tubman. Erivo is best known for her breakout roles on Broadway, including her role as Celie in the 2015 reboot of The Color Purple, which garnered her a Tony, and her performance as Sister Mary Clarence in the UK musical Sister Act.
The film tells the story of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman, beginning with her harrowing escape from slavery, and continuing through to her return to the south, to liberate hundreds of enslaved people through the Underground Railroad. The trailer showcases an impressive cast with Erivo as lead, alongside Leslie Odom Jr., from the Broadway phenom Hamilton and singer and songwriter, Janelle Monáe.
The biopic comes from award winning actor turned director Kasi Lemmons, famed for movies like Eve’s Bayou. Lemmons co-wrote Harriet with Remember the Titans’ screenwriter, Gregory Allen Howard. This is Lemmons’ first feature film since her 2013 adaptation of Black Nativity. Harriet is already causing a lot of buzz and is slated to be a huge contender during this year’s upcoming award season.
We are so excited for this film. Erivo spoke with BOTWC saying, “this means the world to me. I just hope I’ve made everyone including Harriet proud.”
Go fill up every single seat in the theater on November 1st. Because of HARRIET, we can!