Janelle Monae’s Horror Film Antebellum Gets New Trailer and Poster

With the COVID-19 pandemic still shutting down a majority of movie theaters, the world of movie trailers has essentially screeched to a halt. Thankfully, some studios are beginning to provide new looks at their upcoming releases — and it looks like Lionsgate‘s Antebellum is among them. On Wednesday, the studio released a new trailer and poster for the upcoming film, which stars Homecoming and Hidden Figures star and fan-favorite musician Janelle Monae. You can check out the terrifying trailer above, and the eerie poster below.

Directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, Antebellum stars Monáe as Veronica Henley, a successful author who finds herself trapped a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late. The film also stars Marque Richardson II, Eric Lange, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Tongayi Chirisa, Gabourey Sidibe, Rob Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and Jena Malone.

“I know that it’s about to open up another dimension in my life as an artist and as an actor, and this is definitely one of my most layered and toughest roles to date,” Monae revealed in a previous interview. “So, I had to do some real meditation and prayer. I had to work out a lot. I had to get my head in the mental space to go through Veronica’s journey.”

The film, which is the first feature-length directing project for Bush and Renz, was reportedly inspired by a nightmare that Bush had after his father’s death, in which he thought he saw his ancestors sitting at the foot of their bed.

“I felt like the woman in the nightmare was so desperate for help that she was screaming through multiple dimensions and that this could exist in a different space and time,” Bush admitted. “And then we built out the story. What people will experience in the movie is pretty much the nightmare.”

Antebellum was originally slated for an April 24th release, but was ultimately delayed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The film has since been re-scheduled for August 21st, with the studio optimistic that theaters will be able to reopen by then.

“We believe that by August 21st, audiences will be eager for the distinctive, unique story and voice of these groundbreaking filmmakers’ debut, Antebellum,” Lionsgate’s David Spitz said in a statement at the time.

What do you think of the latest trailer for Antebellum? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Antebellum is set to be released in theaters on August 21st.