While Samuel L. Jackson's role in the upcoming superhero epic The Avengers certainly won't hurt his status as "highest grossing actor ever," that doesn't mean the veteran will neglect his acting roots.  Jackson once again teams with  director Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained later this year, a movie which draws inspiration from some of the ugliest events in American history.  While we've brought you some good looking images of Christoph Waltz in character and of the first teaser poster, the plot itself is a bit on the ugly side. It revolves around Django, a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) and Dr. King Schultz, a German-born bounty hunter (Waltz) who are out to rescue Django's wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington).  Jackson plays a "house slave" of plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).   The outstanding cast also includes Kurt Russell, Garrett Dillahunt, Walton Goggins, RZA, M.C. Gainey, Dennis Christopher, Gerald McRaney, Laura Cayouette, Don Johnson, Tom Savini, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Django Unchained opens December 25th.  Hit the jump to see what Jackson had to say about how Tarantino aims to handle the sensitive subject matter. Jackson addressed the issue of slavery in the following interview with THR, which is followed by the official synopsis for Django Unchained:

Set in the South two years before the Civil War, “Django Unchained” stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive.

Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival…

Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Pilar Savone and Reginald Hudlin. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures Releasing International.

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