The official trailer for Paramount’s highly anticipated biopic Selma has been released. The film is based on the infamous civil rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr. which occurred in the titular Alabama town. With David Oyelowo (Lee Daniel’s The Butler) playing the role of King, the film is backed by an all-star cast also including Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton) as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) as Alabama Governor George Wallace, and Dylan Baker (Thirteen Days) as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.
The fast-paced trailer does well to emphasize the extremely tense atmosphere characteristic of this time as race, politics, and the American Dream all come to a violent head. Focusing heavily on the action of the freedom marches in conjunction with the individuals of the movement, the footage highlights a real-time tone, affecting as much suspense as possible. The trailer also features performances by Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr. (Radio), Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar), and Carmen Ejogo (Pride and Glory) among several others.