The race for next year's Oscars already has a frontrunner, and it's Nate Parker's powerful slave drama Birth of a Nation. The film made a huge splash at Sundance earlier this year — as in, it sold for more money than any other film in the history of the festival — and now we can finally have a look at what all the fuss is about.
The first trailer for Birth of a Nation just dropped and it's safe to say the hype was completely warranted. Parker stars as Nat Turner, a devoutly religious slave who becomes a traveling preacher — and, eventually, the leader of the bloodiest slave rebellion in American history. Armie Hammer plays Nat’s owner and Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, and Aja Naomi King also star. Parker also directed the film, making this his filmmaking debut.
Birth of a Nation hits theaters this fall. Check out the trailer below:

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