The Big Picture
- LaKeith Stanfield shines as the titular character in The Book of Clarence, a fresh take on biblical films that focuses on a man aspiring to reach the level of success of Jesus Christ.
- The trailer introduces Clarence, a man at a crossroads in life, who becomes inspired by Christ’s ability to perform miracles and spread the word of God, leading him on his own religious journey.
- The film features an impressive cast, including Jacobi Howard, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Teyana Taylor, and reunites director Jeymes Samuel with some of the cast and producers from his previous film, The Harder They Fall. The Book of Clarence will hit theaters in January 2024.
LaKeith Stanfield is performing miracles and making enemies with the Roman government in a fresh trailer for Jeymes Samuel’s The Book of Clarence. Deviating from your run-of-the-mill biblical movie, The Book of Clarence takes place during the years of Jesus Christ’s ministry but won’t directly link itself with his story. Instead, it will focus on Clarence (Stanfield), a man who looks up to the popularity and fame of Christ and hopes to reach the same level of success.
In our first full look at The Book of Clarence, we meet the titular character who stands at a crossroads in his life. With nothing really going for him, Clarence doesn’t see much of a future but when he lays his eyes on Christ, as the religious teacher walks through town with hoards of followers throwing themselves at him, a light bulb goes off for the Jerusalemite. Thinking that he too can match Christ’s ability to perform miracles, cure ailments, and spread the word of God, Clarence starts out on his own journey to become a religious figure. Part comedy, part drama, the trailer is full of laughable moments between Clarence and his future parishioners.
Gathering a stacked cast for his latest title (something the director is well known for), Samuel’s new project also features the talents of Jacobi Howard (The Harder They Fall), James McAvoy (Split), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Chase Dillon (Haunted Mansion), RJ Cyler (The Harder They Fall), Omar Sy (X-Men: Days of Future Past), David Oyelowo (Silo), Anna Diop (Nanny), Teyana Taylor (A Thousand and One), Alfre Woodard (The Gray Man), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies), Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things), Micheal Ward (Empire of Light), and Babs Olusanmokun (Dune Part One).
‘The Book of Clarence’ Is a Collaborative Effort
The Book of Clarence marks Samuel’s return to filmmaking following his 2021 Western flick, The Harder They Fall. Serving as a sort of reunion, The Book of Clarence features many of the same cast members including Stanfield, Howard, Cyler, and Dillon. The director will also be reuniting with The Harder They Fall producers James Lassiter and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter with ex-Netflix executive Tendo Nagenda also joining the fold. Along with forming the film’s vision, Samuel also composed the title’s score. Garrett Grant serves as executive producer.
Backed by Columbia Pictures and Legendary Pictures with Sony Pictures distributing, The Book of Clarence will arrive in theaters on January 12, 2024. Check out the trailer below.
