‘American Fiction’ trailer previews Jeffrey Wright, Issa Rae

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Get ready for “American Fiction.” The trailer for Cord Jefferson’s highly anticipated directorial debut starring Jeffrey Wright is here, taking viewers into the world of the U.S. publishing industry.

Based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett, “American Fiction” wrestles with our culture’s “obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes,” its descriptor asserts. In the satire, Wright plays a frustrated novelist, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, who has had enough of the establishment “profiting from ‘Black’ entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes.”

“To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a tome that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain,” according to the official synopsis.

The “American Fiction” clip kicks off with co-star Issa Rae portraying successful author Sinatra Golden, who is doing a live reading of her latest novel.

“What struck me was that too few books were about my people,” her character says over emotional music before, much to Monk’s dismay, she reads a stereotype-ridden excerpt from her new title.

The trailer then follows Monk’s decision to write the “outlandish ‘Black’ book” that rockets him to major success. With hundreds of thousands of copies sold and movie deals signed, Monk reflects, “The dumber I behave, the richer I get.”

Also Read:
Cord Jefferson’s insightful satire of race and media, ‘American Fiction,’ lights up TIFF

“American Fiction” had its official premiere this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award.

“American Fiction” premieres in select theaters on Friday, Dec. 15 before expanding a week later on Dec. 22.

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