LaKeith Stanfieldis setting his sights on the divine inThe Book of Clarence.
On Tuesday, Sony Pictures droppeda teaser trailerfor the upcoming biblical epic fromJeymes Samuel(The Harder They Fall), which follows Stanfield’s title character in “a bold new take on the timeless Biblical-era epic,” an official synopsis reads.
“Streetwise but down-on-his-luck, Clarence (Stanfield, 32) is struggling to find a better life for his family, while fighting to free himself of debt,” the synopsis continues.
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MORIS PUCCIO/Sony Pictures
Aside from Stanfield, the film also starsOmar Sy,Anna Diop,RJ Cyler,David Oyelowo,Micheal Ward,Alfre Woodard,Teyana Taylor,Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa andMarianne Jean-Baptiste, withJames McAvoyandBenedict Cumberbatch.
It also features new music from writer-director Samuel, 44, plusJAY-Zand more, an official release promises.
The trailer opens in Jerusalem in AD 33, with Stanfield’s Clarence admitting he is “not a man without faults.” He is also shown witnessing Jesus of Nazareth’s presence in town.
“I want to be like that in 10 years,” Elijah (Cyler, 28) tells Clarence, who responds with conviction, “Iwant to be like that now.”
“God sent me to deliver this message: I am your new messiah,” an arms-wide-open Clarence later declares in front of a jubilant crowd.
In an interview withVanity Fairpublished Monday, Samuel said that withThe Book of Clarence, he set out “to tell a Bible story about an everyman.”
“I always wanted to explore the Bible stories, but from the angle of the person that sells Jesus his sandals, the woman or man that owns the hair salon,” the musician and filmmaker explained.
He also described Clarence’s “journey” in the film as one “of self-belief and world discovery.”
““I think a lot of us have the issue of not only outside belief, but inside belief,” Samuel added.
The Book of Clarencepremieres exclusively in theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.
source: people.com
