Director Steve McQueen’s first film since 2013, Widows released its first trailer today, at last giving audiences a look at the all-star cast in action. The story, adapted by Gone Girl and Sharp Objects author Gillian Flynn is based upon the British ITV series of the same name from 1983 and is McQueen’s first directorial venture since 12 Years a Slave won the Best Picture Oscar and gifted the world with Lupita N’yongo in 2013.
What we know of the plot of Widows so far isn’t much, but is very appealing: Four armed robbers are killed in an attempted heist, leaving behind their respective spouses to finish the job. The cast list on paper alone is impressive, but in the trailer, we finally see some of them in action. Viola Davis, as the widow of Liam Neeson’s Mr. Rawlins, takes up the mantle of leader when he and his men – which includes perpetually under-utilized Jon Bernthal (The Punisher) – are taken out by an extremely thorough SWAT team. Joining Davis are Elizabeth Debicki (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) as Alice, Michelle Rodriguez as Linda and Cynthia Erivo (Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Belle. Daniel Kaluuya and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) appear to be relishing their turns as two stylish, intimidating villains – the kind who show up on the fringes of a funeral and wave casually like Kaluuya does so well here.
Davis convinces the women that their very status as “the widows” is what will help them finish the job – because “no one thinks we have the balls to pull this off.” From there we get quick bursts of action and preparation from the Widows, with a few glimpses of political players in the mix portrayed by Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall. If you need even more of an incentive to see the film, the cast will also feature Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom), Carrie Coon (Gone Girl), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Lukas Haas (The Revenant) and André Holland (Moonlight).
Expect to see this roster in action when 20th Century Fox releases the film on November 16, 2018.
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