Photos/Video: THE PIANO LESSON Trailer With John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, & More

Netflix has released the official trailer for The Piano Lesson, the upcoming film adaptation of August Wilson's play in his American Century Cycle. The film is directed and co-written by Malcolm Washington in his feature directorial debut. From Oscar-nominated producers Denzel Washington and Todd Black, and features an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu with Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins. 

Potts, John David Washington, Fisher, and Jackson all reprise their roles from the 2022 Broadway revival, which broke records becoming the highest-grossing revival of a play on Broadway.

The original production of the play premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1987, also starring Samuel L. Jackson. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama, The Piano Lesson won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, the Peabody Award, and was nominated for the 1990 Tony Award for Best Play.

The Piano Lesson film will be in select theaters this November 8th and available for streaming on Netflix starting November 22.

Official Synopsis

 A battle is brewing in the Charles Household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage.  Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate,  but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.

Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, THE PIANO LESSON explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence - revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. Take a look at the new first-look photos below!