Acclaimed director Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall) is taking it back to biblical times with his latest film, The Book Of Clarence.
The movie reconnects him with Academy Award nominee and Atlanta star LaKeith Stanfield, who plays Clarence, a man who pretends to perform miracles like Jesus of Nazareth as a means to make money and escape poverty. Although Clarence doesn't have any ill intentions, he just wants to feel important and support the folks he loves, he finds himself in the cross-hairs of the evil Roman Empire, who want him to turn in Jesus. In return, they'll give him all the money and fame he desires.
In a previous interview, Samuel told Vanity Fair he 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," he said.
The movie also stars David Oyelowo, Omar Sy, Benedict Cumberbatch, RJ Cyler, James McAvoy, and Alfre Woodard. Jay-Z, who serves as a producer on the project, has previously said that it's been in the works for about a decade.
“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," Jay-Z said in the same interview. "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."
Watch the trailer below.