A new trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah is released, highlighting the performance of LaKeith Stanfield. Directed by Shaka King, from a script he co-wrote with Will Berson, the film is among the 2021 Warner Bros. movies that will be available on HBO Max. It tells the true story of William O’Neal (Stanfield), a career thief who becomes an FBI informant and infiltrates the Black Panther Party to stay ahead of its charismatic leader Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). The biographical drama also stars Dominique Fishback, Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen, Ashton Sanders, Jermaine Fowler, Algee Smith, Lil Rel Howery and Robert Longstreet.
Set to make its streaming and theatrical debut on February 12, Judas and the Black Messiah had previously revealed a trailer which focused on Kaluuya’s turn as Hampton. For the second sneak peek, Hampton becomes something of a peripheral figure. The focus shifts, instead, to the people who love him and the people who are trying to bring him down.
The new trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah zeroes in on Stanfield’s performance, highlighting his character’s uncertainty even as he infiltrated the Black Panthers. In several moments, the uncertainty is even etched on O’Neal’s face while he debates siding with Hampton or sticking with the orders given to him by the FBI. Separately, the preview also highlights how Hampton’s quest for justice comes at the heavy cost of his personal life. You can watch the trailer, from Warner Bros. Pictures, below.
Stanfield’s star has been on a perpetual rise since he landed the scene-stealing role of Darius on the FX series Atlanta. He’s since turned heads with his lead role in Sorry to Bother You, in addition to his work in Knives Out and Uncut Gems. For the actor, who’d previously shared the screen with Kaluuya in Get Out, his latest project felt deeply personal. Speaking with EW, Stanfield confessed that he cried for hours after receiving the script of Judas and the Black Messiah. The actor would go on to explain how he nearly lost himself in the portrayal of O’Neal, suffering from panic attacks as a result of trying to play the controversial figure with as much truth as possible. The effort might’ve already paid off, as critics and analysts heavily expect the film to garner major attention at awards ceremonies
Given that Judas and the Black Messiah will stream on HBO Max, while also being available in theaters, there is the added benefit that more of the general moviegoing public will get to make their own assessments of it. Typically, as has happened with Parasite and Moonlight, audiences are often playing catch up with the features that get the most focus at the Oscars. The decision to move the entire 2021 Warner Bros. slate to streaming, for all its flaws, does allow more viewers to check out the kind of projects which might otherwise take time to build up its reputation.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
