It’s been some time since Denzel Washington jostled for a place in the Oscar race – not since Robert Zemeckis airborne thriller Flight has the acting great been nominated – and longer still since Washington last picked up the famed gold statue from the Academy.
Yes, not since Training Dog has Denzel Washington collected the gong for himself, but the release of Fences, an adaptation of August Wilson’s Tony Award-winning stage play, may herald a change in fortunes very soon indeed. Helmed by Washington himself, the pic has him star as 53-year-old Troy Maxon, a “sanitation employee who once aspired to be a professional baseball player and now faces daily discrimination while coming to terms with his lost ambitions.” Rubbing shoulders with Washington’s burnout is Viola Davis, an actress who already nabbed a Tony award for her portrayal of Rose Maxon on Broadway.
That’s enough to inspire confidence ahead of Fences releasing in theaters this December, and word is that Davis is fast emerging as one of the early frontrunners for the Best Actress gong. Time will tell if the pair’s performance on the boards can translate effectively into a feature-length film, but you can have a peek at the first images for Washington’s drama up above.
Fences is currently earmarked for an awards-friendly release on December 25, when Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sidney will round out the starry ensemble.
