You wait a lifetime for Idris Elba to star in a cowboy movie and two come along in the same year. Following Concrete Cowboy arriving on Netflix this past April, the British actor is back in a stetson for his next project, but this time it’s a full-blown period western. And it’s another Netflix production. The streaming giant has released the first trailer for The Harder They Fall, a stylish, star-studded Wild West actioner that’s coming soon.
Elba is playing Rufus Buck, the villain of the piece, but this trailer focusses on the Luther star as he’s busted out of custody by his cronies, Cherokee Bill and Treacherous Trudy Smith – as played by LaKeith Stanfield and Regina King, who are shown hijacking a train in order to retrieve their boss. The trio of outlaws won’t get away scot-free, however, as they’ll face off against white-hat Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) and his crew as he seeks revenge against Elba’s Buck. Riding with Love are his ex, Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), and right-hand men Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler). Delroy Lindo, Danielle Deadwyler and Damon Wayans Jr. also feature.
It’s clear from just this trailer alone that everyone involved had a blast on this film, though from what we can tell Elba and King look to be the standouts of the incredible ensemble. Jeymes Samuel is on directing duties, with Jay Z producing. Samuels – also known by his stage name The Bullitts – and Jay Z previously handled the score for Baz Lurhmann’s banger-filled The Great Gatsby, and this trailer promises that they’ve concocted another killer soundtrack for this, Samuels’ directorial debut.
With its top-draw, all-POC cast, a Tarantino-esque sense of style and great music to boot, The Harder They Fall promises to be a must-see movie. A release date has yet to be revealed, but we can expect it to stream on Netflix sometime this summer.
