The first six episodes of The Get Down’s 13-episode first season will hit Netflix on August 12, but in the meantime, Netflix has released approximately 13 hours of promotional footage for the Baz Luhrmann musical-drama about New York City’s music scene in the 1970s. Never one to follow the rules, Netflix did things a little backwards, releasing a detailed three-minute look at the show and then following it with a more tightly packaged teaser last month. The Get Down is still a few weeks away from getting here, but Netflix is determined to remind you it’s coming. Today, the show’s “main trailer” dropped, and like those that came before it, it’s a visually immersive spectacle. But “this ain’t Disneyland; this is the Bronx.” It’s not all disco balls and dance floors, in other words. As the trailer makes clear, The Get Down will depict violence, destruction, and pain in its dramatized retelling of the rise of hip-hop.
Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) stars as a preacher who doesn’t want his daughter (newcomer Herizen Guardiola) to sing disco, alongside newcomer Justice Smith, The West Wing’s Jimmy Smits, and Dope’s Shameik Moore. Mamoudou Athie will play Grandmaster Flash, one of hip hop’s foremost pioneers. The real Grandmaster Flash has also boarded the show as a consultant and associate producer, which bodes well for the authenticity of the series. Despite the ample promo footage, Netflix is still being pretty coy about revealing specific plot point, and the trailers amount to little more than sweeping statements mixed with good music. It’s flashy to be sure, but hopefully it aspires to be more than a stylized music video about hip-hop’s rich history.