The Book of Clarence is directed by Jeymes Samuel, who was also directed The Harder They Fall, his directorial debut which also featured Stanfield. Clarence, due in theaters on Jan. 12, also stars Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, and Teyana Taylor.
Samuel told Vanity Fair, “I wanted to tell a Bible story about an everyman. I always wanted to explore the Bible stories, but from the angle of the person that sells Jesus his sandals, the woman or man that owns the hair salon.”
Jay-Z says of the film, “This story is about a young man who finds his faith through love and through wanting to become somebody in the world, which is the story of everybody. Everyone wants to find love and everyone wants to leave this place having accomplished something, having left their mark that they’ve been here and hopefully affected the world in a positive way."