Neon has released the trailer for Origin, the upcoming film from Ava DuVernay starring Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The film does not yet have a release date, though it will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday. DuVernay wrote, produced, and directed the film and is the first Black female American director to have a feature in competition in the festival’s 80-year history. You can check out the trailer for Origin for yourself below. The film is expected to be released sometime later this year,
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Origin is inspired by the life and work of Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson (played by Ellis-Taylor in the film). The story follows Wilkerson’s life as she sets out on a path of investigation and discovery following a personal tragedy to write her book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. In addition to Ellis-Taylor and Bernthal, the film also stars Niecy Nash-Betts, Ver Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Jasmine Cephas-Hones, and Connie Nielsen.
“I’ve known Ava for a long time and my love and admiration for her and her work goes back further, even before Middle of Nowhere,” Neon CEO Tom Quinn said (via Deadline). “I’m truly humbled that it is this movie which has finally brought us together. She has always been a gifted storyteller, and her mastery of her craft shines through in this deeply personal and inspired adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s book, and dramatization of her remarkable life. Origin proves once again that Ava remains one of the most groundbreaking and essential filmmakers of her generation.”
“Sometimes beauty doesn’t look beautiful. Sometimes beauty is a truth revealed, a lesson learned. My experience making Origin was an exquisite, complicated journey that revealed its beauty in both good times and challenging times. This film transformed how I think about my work and my life, about love and being,” DuVernay said. “The collaboration with an actor as gifted and passionate as Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was an indescribable gift. The daily camaraderie of my producing partner Paul Garnes, cinematographer Matt Lloyd, and editor Spencer Averick was a source of abundant joy. All in all, the story of making this film mirrors the journey of the main character within the film. Isabel Wilkerson finds beauty in harnessing bravery, ignoring naysayers and turning trauma into triumph. Gratefully, I did too.”
Origin is DuVernay’s first feature film since 2018’s A Wrinkle in Time. More recently, she directed an episode of DMZ, “Good Luck”, as well as served as creator and executive producer as well as writer for The CW’s Naomi. She also made history in 2014 with Selma as the first Black woman to direct a film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary feature 13th.
