It’s probably safe to assume that if
Oprah Winfrey, the high priestess of all media, is abandoning her 15-year-long movie role hiatus
(we’re not counting you,
Bee Movie) to appear in a film, then said film is going to be a big deal.
Lee Daniels, the director who snagged an Oscar nomination for 2009’s
Precious, is the man behind
The Butler, an upcoming biopic based on the life of a White House butler who served eight different
presidents during his tenure.
If
The Butler merely starred
Forest Whitaker (an Academy Award winner for
The Last King of Scotland) as Cecil Gaines and Winfrey as his wife, Gloria, buzz would be sufficiently clamorous,
but the film also features the kind of all-star cast usually reserved for Steven Spielberg
biopics.
Robin Williams plays Dwight D. Eisenhower,
Liev Schrieber portrays Lyndon B. Johnson, and
John Cusack tackles Richard Nixon, while
James Marsden plays JFK and
Minka Kelly his wife, Jackie Kennedy.
Alan Rickman also stars as Ronald Reagan, with
Jane Fonda playing Nancy. Rounding out the ensemble cast are
Terrence Howard,
Vanessa Redgrave,
Melissa Leo,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Alex Pettyfer,
Mariah Carey, and
Lenny Kravitz, the last two of whom also appeared in
Precious.
The Butler is scheduled for an October release (just in time for Oscar season, we note), but
the first trailer has just been released, and you can watch it below. Who makes the
best President? Let us know in the comments.
