Fresh off two nominations and one win at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the first official trailer for The Forty-Year-Old Version dropped on Wednesday, August 26.
The comedy film was written, directed and produced by Radha Blank in her directorial debut.
She also stars in the lead role, a variation of herself, that was loosely based on her experience as a playwright in New York City.
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First look: The official trailer for The Forty-Year-Old Version, starring Radha Blank, dropped on Wednesday, August 26
Shot in black-and-white 35mm, Blank is a failed playwright who’s now spends her days teaching playwriting at a school, as seen in the opening clip of the teaser.
‘Anyone thought on what kind of play we want to write? she asks students in her classroom. ‘Remember, if you put in nothing, it will be nothing,’
‘Like your career?’ one skeptical student responds back, which elicits a collective groan from the other students.
Multi-talented: The comedy film was written, directed and produced by Radha Blank in her directorial debut
Tough times: Blank stars in the lead role, a variation of herself, that was loosely based on her experience as a playwright in New York City
Despondent: Blank is down on her luck more than a decade after being named as one of Spotlight Magazine’s ’30 under 30 Playwrights to Watch’
Formerly one of Spotlight Magazine’s ’30 under 30 Playwrights to Watch’ more than a decade ago, Blank eventually becomes so desperate for another shot at success that she tries to reinvent herself as rapper, RadhaMUSPrime.
From there, The Forty-Year-Old Version follows Blank as she vacillates between the worlds of hop-hop and theater on her quest to find her true voice.
And along the way, she talks about real-life issues she faces as a 40-year-old Black woman existing in the modern world.
Funny interaction: There are big laughs when Blank tells one of her friend’s (Peter Kim) that she wants to transition to hip-hop
Awakening: Blank is consistently confronted by people who have wondered what she has been doing with her career since garnering some accolades years before
Career change: Blank wants to make a mix-tape about the 40-year-old woman’s point of view
MC: Things don’t go well when Blank first begins her journey as a rapper
Critique: Some people waste little time in questioning her reinvention into hip-hop
Along with Blank, the cast also stars Peter Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Imani Lewis, Haskiri Velazquez, Antonio Ortiz, TJ Atoms, Jacob Ming Trent, Stacey Sargeant, William Oliver Watkins, Meghan O’Neill, André Ward, Welker White and Reed Birney.
The film won the U.S Dramatic Competition Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival in February. It was also nominated for U.S. Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize.
Lena Waithe, Jordan Fudge, Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler and Rishi Rajani were producers along with Blank.
The Forty-Year-Old Version is scheduled to premiere on Netflix October 9, 2020.
True meaning: Blank vacillates between the worlds of hop-hop and theater on her quest to find her true voice
The journey: Along the way, Blank hits the stage to show off her MC skills
Reinvention: : Blank’s rapping skills elicit a broad spectrum of reactions
Big heart: The film tackles real-life issues that Blank faces as a 40-year-old Black woman in the modern world
Coming: The Forty-Year-Old Version is scheduled to premiere on Netflix October 9, 2020