'The United States Vs. Billie Holiday' Trailer: Andra Day Goes To Court Over "Strange Fruit"
Andra Day transforms into "Lady Day" in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, the upcoming Lee Daniels biopic about the iconic Blues singer that will debut on Hulu this February. Watch The United States vs. Billie Holiday trailer below.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday Trailer
Lee Daniels' biographical drama, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, was originally set to hit theaters on February 26, 2021, but financier New Slate Ventures sold the film to Hulu for a streaming release. At the time, it was not confirmed whether or not the film would make it to theaters too, but last week, Paramount officially pulled it from its theatrical schedule, making it a Hulu-exclusive debut.
Starring Day (Cars 3) in her live-action feature film debut, The United States vs. Billie Holiday follows Holiday early in her career as she is "targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair" and marks Daniels' big return to feature filmmaking after 2013's The Butler. And considering the director's history of Oscar-nominated fare like The Butler and Precious, we can expect Day to get some late awards season buzz in what is expected to be the Grammy nominee's breakout role.
Based on her performance in the trailer, Day certainly nails the Lady Day's signature raspy vocals, performing the classic Blues songs with a fiery passion — especially Billie Holiday's hit track "Strange Fruit," a controversial song about lynching that would earn her the ire of the FBI, and make her the target of a federal investigation that — along with her drug addiction — would send her to prison and derail her career.
Daniels directs the film from a script by playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Day is joined in the cast byNatasha Lyonne, Garrett Hedlund, Miss Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Tone Bell, and Erik LaRay Harvey.
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday is set to debut on Hulu on February 26, 2021.
Known as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, Billie Holiday spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940's in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, "Strange Fruit."