Over the past few years, Netflix has proven its ability to drawn in major Hollywood players for its original movies and series. And if you look at the ensemble cast for its upcoming Western flick The Harder They Fall, it’s an embarrassment of riches – a cavalcade of Black talent ready to light up the screen in what looks to be a splashy, violent, Tarantino-esque romp. First up, you have Regina King, calling the shots on a blood-spattered train robbery, aided by LaKeith Stanfield in liberating some precious cargo. And before you go all Se7en and ask, ‘What’s in the boooox?’, take a look for yourself in the first trailer:
Yep, that’s Idris Elba being liberated in the stick-up – and beyond him the cast includes the likes of Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, and the legendary Delroy Lindo. Phew! It’s the feature debut of director and co-writer Jeymes Samuel, who has Shawn Carter (aka Jay Z) on board as a producer, and has a background in making both music and music videos. He previously helmed Jay Z’s ‘Legacy’ short film, a 10-minute prison break drama starring Susan Sarandon, Ron Perlman and Aldis Hodge.
Here’s the official synopsis: “When outlaw Nat Love (Majors) discovers that his enemy Rufus Buck (Elba) is being released from prison he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge. Those riding with him in this assured, righteously new school Western include his former love Stagecoach Mary (Beetz), his right and left hand men — hot-tempered Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and fast drawing Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler)—and a surprising adversary-turned-ally. Rufus Buck has his own fearsome crew, including “Treacherous” Trudy Smith (King) and Cherokee Bill (Stanfield), and they are not a group that knows how to lose.”
The film is set to arrive later this year, streaming on Netflix and making its way onto some cinema screens too – if the final film lives up to that trailer, this could be one to seek on the biggest screen you can find.