Denzel Washington and Viola Davis Swing for the ‘Fences’

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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: