Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman Shine in Official Trailer for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’

Produced by Denzel Washington, the film is an adaptation of August Wilson’s 1982 play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

On Monday, the highly anticipated trailer for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman produced by Denzel Washington. 

The two-minute-long trailer provides a glimpse into the new adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 play which has the same name. Given the moniker “Mother of Blues” years ago, Ma Rainey is an immense figure, Davis proves throughout the trailer that she’s intricately studied the singer’s mannerisms and livelihood. There’s a spark in her eyes that makes it clear this role is an immediate shoo-in for the forthcoming awards season. 

The clip features Boseman as a talented trumpet player, Levee. This is his final role captured on a screen ahead of his untimely death earlier this year. 

The majority of the trailer centers around Ma Rainey’s constant battles with her white manager and producer over her music. Beyond club settings, the visual displays studio sessions and Boseman voicing his opinions and pining for Ma Rainey’s girlfriend.

A synopsis of the film describes Ma Rainey as “fearless” and “fiery” in her pursuit of claiming ownership of her music during one scene. It also reads that Boseman’s character Levee “spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.” The film will intimately celebrate Ma Rainey as a titan in the blues industry and “the transformative power of the blues.”

Additional cast members include Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, and Michael Potts. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom directed by George C. Wolfe will premiere on Netflix on December 18. 

Take a look at the entire trailer below.