After the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, Netflix has just offered a glimpse at his final film performance.
The Black Panther star died in August following a battle with cancer, and the last movie he completed prior to his death was Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which on Monday got its first full trailer.
The film from Netflix is based on the August Wilson play of the same name, and Boseman stars as trumpeter Levee opposite Viola Davis in 1927 Chicago. "Tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player (Chadwick Boseman), and the white management determined to control the legendary 'Mother of the Blues,'" Netflix's description reads.
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When Boseman's death was announced, his family revealed he had been quietly fighting colon cancer for years in between roles. "A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much," his family's statement said. "From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy."
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom will arrive on Netflix months after Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, in which Boseman drew acclaim for his supporting performance. Both films being released in 2020 opens up the possibility, Variety writes, that Boseman could potentially become the first actor ever nominated for two posthumous Oscars in the same year. Check out the trailer for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which will hit Netflix on Dec. 18, below. Brendan Morrow
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