MGM released today a trailer for Till, an upcoming biopic that is set to tell the world a tragic and powerful story. Based on real events, the movie chronicles the fight of Mamie Till Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) for justice after her teenage son gets brutally killed for being a Black person in the wrong place at the wrong time. The movie also stars Haley Bennett (The Girl on the Train) and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act 3)
The trailer for Till reveals the setting is both sensitive and fierce: Mamie’s moments with her son Emmett (Jalyn Hall) are tender and colorful, and they heavily contrast with the darker and joyless scenes that take place after Till's murder. You can also tell that the movie is not gearing up to be an “inspiring” story, but rather chronicle the ruthless fight of a mother who has no choice but to channel her anger into keeping her son’s memory alive so that the tragedy doesn’t happen with other mothers.
Also underscored by the Till trailer is the hostile environment in which both Emmett and his mother were forced to navigate in the 1950s – not that this is news to anyone watching, but it never gets easier to witness these stories and realize how much hurt and despair were forced upon the Black community to the point of being normalized.
Till is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Chinonye Chukwu, who previously helmed Clemency and AlaskaLand. She co-writes the script with Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp, both of whom make their feature film writing debut. In an official statement, Chukwu talked about the decision to center the story around Emmet Till’s mother and why this was such an important decision:
“When I was approached to write and direct a story about Emmett Till, I found myself drawn to a singular figure at the center of his orbit. I saw an opportunity to subvert expectations and approach the narrative through another lens – from the maternal point of view of Mamie Till Mobley. Had it not been for Mamie, her son’s memory would have evaporated into thin air. She was the catalyst for a modern day civil rights movement that has laid a formidable framework for future activists and Freedom Fighters. I felt compelled to champion Mamie’s legacy and center her in the spotlight where she rightfully belongs.”
Till is set to premiere in theaters in October. A specific release date is yet to be announced.
You can watch the trailer below:
Check out the official synopsis here:
Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world.