Denzel Washington and Viola Davis Swing for the ‘Fences’
[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
In an already heated Oscar race, we add one more piece to the puzzle with the release of the first trailer for Paramount Pictures’ ‘Fences.’
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning play by August Wilson, Fences tells the story of garbage collector Tony Maxson, a former baseball player in his younger years whose potential was cut short after he’s imprisoned for an accidental murder he had committed during a robbery.
The 1987 Broadway production of the play won Tonys for Best Play, Lead Actor (James Earl Jones), Featured Actress (Mary Alice) and Direction (Lloyd Richards). The 2010 revival won Best Revival of a Play, Lead Actor (Washington) and Lead Actress (Davis). These Lead v Featured wins for Davis and Alice has been cause for much chatter about where Davis will fall in the Oscar race this season; in Lead or Supporting. The richness and depth of the monologues in the play and the “I gave 18 years of my life to stand in the same spot as you!” speaks volumes to that. But we’ll see.
Full of explosive commentary on race and family and place, Fences is sure to be a hit this Christmas.
The film also stars Jovan Adepo, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sydney and is produced by Denzel Washington (who also directs), Todd Black and Scott Rudin.
Fences is set for wide release on Christmas Day after an initial New York/Los Angeles limited run on December 16th.
Here is the teaser trailer:
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) Lineup: Josh O’Connor in ‘Rebuilding,’ Tributes to André Holland, Chris Columbus - March 26, 2025
- The Academy Partners with Global Screenwriting Programs for Nicholl Fellowships, The Black List to Serve as Submission Portal - March 25, 2025
- 2025 Sonoma International Film Festival Awards: ‘DJ Ahmet,’ ‘Mistress Dispeller,’ ‘Meet the Barbarians’ Among Winners at 28th Wine Country Fest - March 24, 2025
‘Hot Milk’ Review: Emma Mackey Blazes Through Choppy Mother-Daughter Portrait [C] | BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 
68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) Lineup: Josh O’Connor in ‘Rebuilding,’ Tributes to André Holland, Chris Columbus 
The Academy Partners with Global Screenwriting Programs for Nicholl Fellowships, The Black List to Serve as Submission Portal 
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 91 – ‘Angels in America’ (Mike Nichols, 2003)