Watch: First Trailer for “The Butler” Goes for the Heartstrings – and the Oscar Vote

May 8, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Videos Leave a comment

The first trailer for Lee Daniel’s “The Butler” was released today and it’s a stirring two and a half minutes that tugs at the heartstrings. Talk about an impressive trailer to get us talking about the first of this year’s awards-baity films!

Starring Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines and Oprah Winfrey as his wife, “The Butler” is based on Wil Haygood’s Washington Post article about a black man who served as a White House butler to eight presidents over three decades. Daniel’s film also stars David Oyelowo as Gaines’ song Louis who was a Freedom Rider, Alex Pettyfer as a slave-owner, and James Marsden and Minka Kelly as President Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy.

This trailer has a heavy focus on the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement, showcasing Nelsan Ellis as Martin Luther King Jr., but expect the film to cover all of the presidents that Cecil Gaines worked for in the White House, with this first trailer giving us glimpses of Eisenhower (Robin Williams), Kennedy, Nixon (John Cusack) and President Reagan (Alan Rickman)

“The Butler” will be released on October 18th 2013 – perfect for awards season.

Click below to watch the trailer.

“True Blood” star Nelsan Ellis to play Martin Luther King, Jr. in Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”

July 30, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

The cast of Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” is still growing. Today Deadline reports Daniels has found his MLK in “True Blood” actor Nelsan Ellis, who joins a cast that already includes Forest Whitaker, David Oyelowo, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Oprah Winfrey, Liam Neeson, Nicole Kidman, Minka Kelly, Cuba Gooding Jr, Alex Pettyfer, Terrance Howard and Lenny Kravitz in the true historical tale.

Whitaker plays Eugene Allen, the White House butler who started out as an entry level “pantry man” in pre-Civil Rights 1952 to serving eight presidents over 30 years and witnessing firsthand such historical events as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. Winfrey and Oyelowo play his wife and son, respectively, while the rest of the cast all play real life historical and political figures, which now includes Ellis as the iconic Civil Rights leader. Filming is underway.

Ellis appeared in “The Help” with Oyelowo, as well as sports films “Secretariat” and “The Express”, though he’s most well known for his role as short order cook and gay witch Lafeyette Reynolds on HBO’s “True Blood”, now in its 6th season. He recently wrapped up shooting indie films “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” opposite Keiefer Sutherland and Kate Hudson, and “Gods Behaving Badley” with Christopher Walken and Sharon Stone.

Lee Daniels casts Alex Pettyfer in “The Butler”

June 18, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Lee Daniels has had his eye on Alex Pettyfer for a while. He wanted to cast him in “The Paperboy” over a year ago, but scheduling ultimately couldn’t be worked out and the role, for better or worse, went to Zac Efron. Now it appears the time is right for the actor and director to finally work together, as Deadline reports Pettyfer has joined the all-star cast of Daniels’ next, “The Butler.”

Pettyfer will play the supporting role of Thomas Westphall amongst a cast that already includes Forest Whitaker, David Oyelowo, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Oprah Winfrey, Minka Kelly, Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrance Howard, and Lenny Kravitz. Whitaker plays Eugene Allen, the White House butler who started out as an entry level “pantry man” in pre-Civil Rights 1952 to serving eight presidents over 30 years and witnessing firsthand such historical events as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. Pettyfer’s Westphall “appears early in the life of Forest Whitaker’s character and has a pivotal influence on the rest of that character’s life.” Filming begins in mid-July.

Pettyfer, who gained fame and notoriety from teen fare like “I Am Number Four” and “Beastly”, will soon be seen in Steven Soderbergh’s LA Film Festival closer “Magic Mike”, and is committed to indie thriller “Diamond Dogs.”

“Friday Night Lights” star Minka Kelly lands the role of Jackie Kennedy in Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”

May 23, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Looks like it will be Minka Kelly – and not Mila Kunis – who will be playing Mrs. JFK in Lee Daniels’ historical drama “The Butler.” The director tells ScreenDaily that he has chosen the “Friday Night Lights” star for the role of Jackie Kennedy, to play opposite Matthew McConaughey as John F. Kennedy. Forest Whitaker stars in the film as Eugene Allen, the titular White House butler, with Oprah Winfrey as his wife and David Oylowo as his son.

Based on Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post story “A Butler Well Served by This Election”, the story will follow Allen as he goes from an entry level “pantry man” in pre-Civil Rights 1952 to serving eight presidents over 30 years and witnessing firsthand such historical events as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. The rest of the cast includes John Cusack as Richard Nixon, Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan and Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan, as well as Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz in unspecified roles.

Kelly broke out as cheerleader Lyla Garrity on critically acclaimed NBC series “Friday Night Lights”, which ended last year. After a starring role in horror flick “The Roommate” turned out to be a dud, Kelly has mainly stuck to TV, with a recurring role on hit NBC series “Parenthood” and as one of the new “Charlie’s Angels” in a reboot of the 1970s series.

Jesse Williams in talks for Lee Daniels’ historical political drama “The Butler”

May 11, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Jesse Williams is the latest actor to join the ever-growing ensemble cast of “Precious” director Lee Daniels’ next project, historical political drama “The Butler.” According to Deadline, Williams is in negotiations to join a cast that already includes Forest Whitaker, Hugh Jackman, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Jane Fonda and Liam Neeson.

Based on Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post story “A Butler Well Served by This Election”, the story will follow Whitaker as Eugene Allen, the black White House butler as he goes from an entry level “pantry man” in pre-Civil Rights 1952 to serving eight presidents over 30 years and witnessing firsthand such historical events as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. All actors will be portraying real life American historical figures, with Oyelowo as ALlen’s son and Winfrey as his wife. Mila Kunis was also recently rumored to play the role of Jackie Kennedy.

Williams, who we think would make a pretty good Finnick in “The Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire”, is a regular on hit ABC medical series “Grey’s Anatomy” and was recently seen on the big screen as one of the victims of Drew Goddard’s horrific “Cabin in the Woods.” He’s currently on hiatus from “Grey’s” and taking advantage of the break to film drag racing biopic “Snake and Mongoose” opposite Noah Wylie.

Lee Daniels wants David Oyelowo to be “The Butler” in political biopic; Mila Kunis approached to play Jackie Kennedy

February 15, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

British actor David Oyelowo’s conquering of Hollywood continues, as THR reports “Precious” director Lee Daniels is interested in his “The Paperboy” star to take on the titular role in “The Butler”, a biopic about Eugene Allen, the black butler that served eight presidents in the White House from 1952 to 1986. THR further reports that Daniels is assembling a hell of a supporting cast with the likes of Mila Kunis, John Cusack, Hugh Jackman and even Oprah Winfrey being offered roles of real life American historical figures.

Based on Wil Haygood’s 2008 Washington Post story “A Butler Well Served by This Election”, the story will follow Allen as he goes from an entry level “pantry man” in pre-Civil Rights 1952 to serving eight presidents over 30 years and witnessing firsthand such historical events as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. THR reports Kunis has been offered the role of Jackie Kennedy, Cusack President Richard Nixon and Winfrey Allen’s wife. Financing and scheduling are still being shuffled around and as we know from Daniels’ past projects, the cast could look totally different by the time cameras roll, but it’s certainly an inspired grouping as is.

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