Netflix has released the first trailer for Beasts of No Nation, the upcoming film from Emmy-winning True Detective director Cary Fukunaga that will premiere simultaneously on the streaming service and in theaters later this year.
Written and directed by Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation stars Golden Globe-winning actor Idris Elba (Luther, Pacific Rim) as a ruthless rebel warlord fighting a civil war in Africa with an army of child soldiers. The film follows Agu (Abraham Attah), a child ripped from his family during the bloody war and forced to come of age amid the brutality of the conflict raging around him.
The film is based on a 2005 novel of the same name by Nigerian-American author Uzodinma Iweala.
After it was announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to Beasts of No Nation with the intention of releasing it theatrically and on its streaming service simultaneously, many of the major theater chains responded by refusing to screen the film, which is expected to generate significant Oscar buzz for Elba and his young co-star. Nevertheless, the film will indeed have a theatrical release, with Landmark Theaters agreeing to screen it around the country on the same day as its Netflix premiere.
Anyone wishing to attend a theatrical screening of Beasts of No Nation can find information about Landmark theater locations via the chain’s website.
Along with Elba and Attah, the film also stars Ghanaian actors Ama K. Abebrese, Grace Nortey, and David Dontoh. Shooting for the film took place in the eastern regions of Ghana.
Along with its Netflix and theatrical premiere, the film will be screened at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival in the coming months.
Beasts of No Nation will premiere October 16 in Landmark theaters as well as on Netflix.
