If you are at all interested, Jeymes Samuel’s “The Book of Clarence” has a trailer.
There were some pundits out there clinging to the idea that “The Book of Clarence” would be an Oscar contender. However, it hasn’t shown up at any of the fall festivals and Sony bumped the film’s release date from September 22nd, 2023 to January 12th, 2024.
A test-screening occurred last month in Los Angeles. I had posted a mixed reaction that compared the film to Taika Waititi’s style of filmmaking.
Samuel’s film is about a man named Clarence living in 29 A.D. Jerusalem who looks to capitalize on the rise of Jesus Christ. The cast includes LaKeith Stanfield (as Clarence), Omar Sy, David Oyelowo and Alfre Woodard. There are also supporting turns from Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy.
Production on the film began last November and wrapped this past February. It is a story that’s biblical in nature and has a talented cast of African-American actors behind it, but Samuels being behind the camera here doesn’t entice me one bit.
Samuel’s directorial debut was the star-studded Western, “The Harder They Fall.” Before that he was known for having a long career in music as the artist known as The Bullitts. Let’s all pray that this one’s better than “The Harder They Fall.”