Universal Pictures has unveiled the first trailer forQueen & Slim. Footage from the upcoming drama was revealed at CinemaCon earlier this year and it got people talking. After seeing this first trailer, it’s easy to understand why. Headlined byGet Outstar Daniel Kaluuya, with newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith partnered up with him on this intense journey of lovers on the run, this looks like it could be an awards season contender and, more than that, a socially relevant piece of cinema.
The trailer starts out rather nice, with a new romance being struck up. However, things devolve rather quickly as a situation between this couple and a police officer gets ugly in a hurry. It then turns into a deeply intense and modern take on aBonnie and Clyde(who get name-dropped in the trailer) orThelma and Louisetale. The whole thing is set to a chilling rendition ofStayin' Aliveby the Bee Gees. It all looks very poignant and is sure to drum up a lot of chatter when it begins making the rounds later this year.
This comes from directorMelina Matsoukas, who has worked with artists like Beyoce onFormation, but makes her feature directorial debut here. The screenplay was co-written by Emmy-winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), alongside James Frey (A Million Little Pieces). Waithe was on hand when the footage was presented at CinemaCon and had this to say about the movie at the time.
“It’s meant to get people talking. The film is not made to give the audience answers, but instead to ask questions and show what it looks like to be black and in love while the world is burning all around you.”
Queen & Slimcenters on a black couple who, following an unforgettable first date with one another, are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates to a tragic end when theman kills the police officer in self-defense. Fearing for their lives and with no options, this retail employee and criminal defense lawyer who have only just met must go on the run. However, the incident is captured on video and goes viral. As they drive, the two unlikely fugitives discover themselves and each other, under the most dire and desperate circumstances. They will forge a deep and powerful love that reveals their shared humanity and will shape the rest of their lives.
Lena Waithe, Melina Matsoukas, James Frey, Andrew Coles and Michelle Knudsen serve as producers. The studio has handed a very awards season-friendly release date of November 27. That doesn’t automatically mean it will end up in the Oscar race, but all of the right pieces seem to be in place and it certainly looks like something that could easily be a part of that conversation come winter time. {Be sure to check out the new trailer for Queen & Slim from theUniversal Pictures YouTubechannel for yourself.
