Will Smith stars as the father of both tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in a new biopic called King Richard; Will Smith is the ambitious and inspirational father of both tennis legends.
If you’re already making a shortlist of next year’s Oscar predictions (no judgment here), then you’ll want to note down King Richard as a potential frontrunner.
Warner Bros. just released the first trailer for the upcoming drama, which chronicles the upbringing of legendary tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Will Smith stars in King Richard in the eponymous role of Richard Williams, who played a key role in his daughters’ rise to athletic stardom.
Venus and Serena are played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton respectively, and per the studio’s synopsis, the movie follows their coming-of-age through the lens of Richard, “an undeterred father” whose drive and passion for tennis makes him “instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time.”
The synopsis goes on to explain that Richard uses “unconventional methods” to execute his plan for his daughters, which “will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons.”
In the emotional first trailer, Richard says that he wrote a 78-page plan for his daughters’ entire career before they were born, and tells them: “You’re going to be representing every little Black girl on Earth.”
Lovecraft Country’s Aunjanue Ellis also stars as Oracene “Brandi” Williams, Venus and Serena’s mom, while Scandal’s Tony Goldwyn and The Punisher’s Jon Bernthal both play coaches to the Williams sisters.
Venus and Serena, alongside their sister Isha Price, are executive producers on the film, which is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, and written by Zach Baylin. King Richard will be released on November 19, 2021.
