Will Smith announces his candidacy at this year’s Oscars with King Richard, a drama about the rise of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams. Watch the first trailer here.
Warner Bros and HBO Max on Wednesday debuted the first trailer for King Richard, a sports drama about the rise of sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams, told from the perspective of their father, Richard.
Will Smith stars in the title role, in a departure from the action-heavy work that he is best known for. King Richard is not only in line with the more dramatic films that Will Smith has appeared in — The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds, Ali — but like the recent Gemini Man, one that also reflects his actual age.
The trailer focusses on Richard Williams’ drive to give his daughters a better life than the one he had. He wants them to be doctors, lawyers, and star athletes. In one scene, Richard says, “I wrote a 78-page plan for their whole career before they were even born.” Later, when a character says that he has Michael Jordan on his hands, he quips, “I have two.”
Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most decorated tennis players in the history of the sport, having dominated the landscape for over two decades.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zack Baylin, King Richard also stars Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene Price, the sisters’ mother, and Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton as Venus and Serena. The supporting cast includes Jon Bernthal, Dylan McDermott, and Tony Goldwyn. The film arrives in theatres and on HBO Max in the US on November 19.
Here’s an official synopsis:
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, King Richard follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. King Richard is a profoundly moving film that shows the power of family, perseverance, and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
