Jeymes Samuel's highly underrated debut, Netflix western The Harder They Fall, caused a lot of people to sit up and take notice, and his next project is sure to bring him even more attention.
In The Book of Clarence, a down-on-his luck street hustler (Atlanta's LaKeith Stanfield) encounters Jesus Christ and is immediately intrigued by how much power and adoration the self-proclaimed Son of God and his apostles command.
Clarence decides to try his hand at being the Messiah himself, but his preaching and "miracles" don't go unnoticed by the Romans.
The movie is described as a Biblical epic, but we're definitely getting some comedic vibes from this first trailer (Monty Python's The Life of Brian might be a better comparison than The Ten Commandments), and one moment right at the end seems to suggest that Clarence may actually have some God-given abilities after all.
“Clarence is a person that doesn’t believe in anything outside of what’s in front of him, what he can see and hear,” Samuel told Vanity Fair in a recent interview. “Clarence has a lot of inside belief — he has a lot of inside confidence. 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.”
Check out the teaser below, and let us know what you think.
"From visionary filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, The Book of Clarence is a bold new take on the timeless Biblical-era epic. Streetwise but down-on-his-luck, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is struggling to find a better life for his family, while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out. The film features new music by Jeymes Samuel, JAY-Z, and more."
Joining Stanfeild in The Book of Clarence is RJ Cyler, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The movie features new music from Samuel and Jay-Z, and will release in theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.