In the past week we’ve seen the premieres of two of our most-anticipated films of the fall, Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity and Steve McQueen‘s 12 Years a Slave, and it’s the rare case where it seems like our hype has been fully justified. We’ve rounded up reviews for both the space thriller and the next film from the Shame and Hunger director, but today gives us a major batch of new footage from the latter.
Coming in the form of our first featurette, we are given the basic set-up for the adaptation of Solomon Northup‘s 1853 autobiography, which tracks Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who was kidnapped and put in a slave pen, paving the way for a grueling life under numerous owners.
Full of new footage from seemingly the first act, as well as interviews with our director, writer and producers, check it out below for the film also starring Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Alfre Woodard, Garret Dillahunt, Lupita Nyong’o, Adepero Oduye, Scoot McNairy, Sarah Paulson, Michael K. Williams, Chris Chalk, Dwight Henry, Quvenzhane Wallis and Brad Pitt.
12 Years a Slave opens on October 18th.