The first trailer for The Book of Clarence shows a side of ancient Jerusalem the world hasn’t seen.
The film, starring LaKeith Stanfield as Clarence, follows a struggling Jerusalemite trying to gain fame and recognition in 29 A.D. by convincing people he is the long-awaited Messiah.
The biblical comedy reunites Stanfield with The Harder They Fall director Jeymes Samuel, who produced the film alongside Jay-Z. The movie also stars James McAvoy, RJ Cyler, Alfre Woodward, David Oyelowo, Michael Wood, Caleb McLaughlin and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Samuel spoke about the film to Vanity Fair, sharing he wanted 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,” Samuel said. “Clarence is a person that doesn’t believe in anything outside of what’s in front of him, what he can see and hear.
“Clarence has a lot of inside belief – he has a lot of inside confidence,” he continued. “This man is sure he could fly. He reminds me of me growing up, but unlike me, he has no outside faith. I think it’s just a really interesting vantage point to explore living in that particular time and place, where most everyone around him is speaking about the Messiah.”
The Book of Clarence will be released in theaters January 12, 2024.
