The new trailer for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom could easily double up as an Oscar night highlights reel for its two stars, Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis.
A regal Davis takes centre stage as Ma Rainey, the real-life ‘Mother of the Blues,’ in Netflix’s adaptation of August Wilson’s 1984 play, which was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winner’s Pittsburgh Cycle, chronicling the experience and legacy of black Americans in the 20th century.
Decked out in furs, feathers and liberally applied blue eyeshadow, Davis’ Ma Rainey is an imperious presence onstage and off, determined to wrest back some power from the white music executives attempting to control and profit from her career.
Boseman, meanwhile, commands attention as the ambitious trumpeter Levee, who is convinced he is destined for greater things than playing as a session musician for real stars like Ma: he wants his own shot at stardom, and has his eye on Ma’s girlfriend (played by Taylour Paige).
As he tells his bandmates “You don’t know nothing about what kind of blood I got, what kind of heart I got beating here” as the trailer comes to a crescendo, you can feel the awards buzz building up, too.
Netflix: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Davis previously received an Oscar for her supporting role in the big screen version of Fences, another play from Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle, opposite Denzel Washington, who serves as a producer on Netflix’s effort.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom marks the final performance from Boseman, who died of colon cancer in August aged 43.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is available to stream on Netflix from December 18.
