Nate Parker’s directorial debut, The Birth of A Nation, went to Sundance fairly under the radar and was the talk of the entire festival when things were all said and done. Fox Searchlight soon bought the distribution rights for the film for $17.5 million. To further build the anticipation for the film based on Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion, the studio has released the first teaser trailer. It looks dope.

The trailer is only a couple of minutes long, but does its job of establishing the tone of the film and giving us a glimpse into the powerful imagery we can expect. Working alongside Parker, viewers will be able to spot Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union and Mark Boone Jr, according to IndieWire. 

“Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves,” said the film’s official synopsis.  “As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.”

The Birth of a Nation is set to be released this October.

Watch the trailer below:

 

Photo Courtesy: YouTube