Following her Tony-winning performance in The Color Purple, esteemed theater actress Cynthia Erivo transitioned to film last year and made an instant impression. She (and her incredible singing voice) stole Bad Times at the El Royale away from Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth, and played a key role in Widows, one of 2018’s best movies. Next up for Erivo: Harriet, a biopic about abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who helped free hundreds of slaves using the Underground Railroad. The film was directed by Kasi Lemmons, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gregory Allen Howard (Remember the Titans).
“God don’t mean people to own people,” Erivo-as-Tubman says in the trailer above. “I will give every last drop of blood in my veins until this monster called slavery is dead.” The film’s tagline: “Be Free or Die.”
Here’s the official plot summary.
Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Harriet, which also stars Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, and Janelle Monáe (who will also appear in Homecoming season two), opens on November 1
