AMERICAN FICTION Trailer 2 (2024) Jeffrey Wright, Adam Brody

AMERICAN FICTION Trailer 2 (2024) Jeffrey Wright, Adam BrodyShow more

AMERICAN FICTION Trailer 2 (2024) Jeffrey Wright, Adam Brody, Sterling K. Brown
© 2023 - MGM

After wowing critics at the Toronto International Film Festival and beyond, Cord Jefferson's satirical directorial debut American Fiction is finally out in theaters with plans to spread to more cities by the end of this week before the holidays. Ahead of the expansion, MGM unveiled a new trailer today that showcases the familial side of the smash hit comedy as Jeffrey Wright goes through a rough patch. He plays a writer looking for his next big idea for a novel, only to become famous for doing the exact thing he despises most. The new promo is heavily defined by one line — "You know that all successful writers are tormented by their families."

American Fiction follows Monk (Wright) who's deeply frustrated with the lack of attention to his novels as the establishment continues to gravitate toward "Black" books and entertainment that lean heavily on offensive stereotypes like drugs, deadbeat dads, rappers, and the hood. His agent implores him to take some time off to be with his family, who offer him some "support" — calling him fat and joking that his books are better used to prop up tables. Still, they stick by him even as he feels like he's losing his touch. When he does decide to sit back down to write, he decides to poke fun at the establishment with a proper "Black" book that capitalizes on those deplorable stereotypes. Things go awry when it becomes a bestseller and he and his agent are praised for writing something so "Black."

Family is at the heart of American Fiction as Monk skyrockets to stardom with a movie in the works based on his book and white people in the Hamptons fawning over his fake persona. His loved ones are right there encouraging him through this messy situation as they only want him to be true to himself. Of particular note is Sterling K. Brown's Cliff, who shares both joking and tender moments with Monk while going through his own personal struggles, showing the love shared within this unit. The cast is packed with talent to make Jefferson's story of family and fiction sing, with Wright and Brown joined by Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, and Michael Cyril Creighton.

'American Fiction' Closes Out a Strong Year for Movies

Jefferson wrote and directed his debut feature based on Percival Everett's 2001 novel Erasure. The acclaimed satire, which took some cues from Jefferson's experience with Damon Lindelof's Watchmen series adaptation, is one of several major films to cap off a year at the movies that was full of major hits and cinematic events like Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. American Fiction figures to be right in the hunt with the biggest titles of the year during award season. Currently, the film is up for multiple Critics Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Wright, and Best Supporting Actor for Brown.

American Fiction is in select theaters now. MGM will expand the film to additional cities on Friday, December 22. Read our review of Jefferson's directorial debut here and check out the new trailer below.

American Fiction poster Jeffrey Wright._V1_
American Fiction
R
Comedy
Drama
A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

Release Date
December 22, 2023
Director
Cord Jefferson
Cast
Jeffrey Wright , Tracee Ellis Ross , Sterling K. Brown , Issa Rae , John Ortiz , Adam Brody​ , Leslie Uggams , erika alexander , Keith David
Runtime
117 minutes
Writers
Cord Jefferson , Percival Everett
Story By
Percival Everett
Producer
Ben LeClair, p.g.a., Nikos Karamigios, p.g.a., Cord Jefferson, p.g.a., Jermaine Johnson, p.g.a.
Studio(s)
Orion Pictures , Amazon MGM Studios