“I made it this far on my own, so don’t you tell me what I can’t do.”
Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo taps into her Broadway-tuned instincts to channel abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the upcoming Focus Features biopic, Harriet. The first look follows Tubman’s arduous journey to freedom, as well as her struggling with idea of her love ones remaining enslaved in the wake of her escape. Janelle Monae and Hamilton’s Leslie Odom, Jr. play freed slaves who house and advise Tubman in Philadelphia, and will ultimately guide her in mission through the Underground Railroad, which will lead to her freeing hundreds of slaves.
Harriet, which enters theaters November 1, also stars singer-songwriter Jennifer Nettles, Joe Alwyn, and Clarke Peters and was directed by Eve’s Bayou’s Kasi Lemmons. It is already garnering early award season buzz, especially concerning the performance of their leading actress.