American Fiction trailer, release date, cast, and more

A new satirical comedy drama film starring Jeffrey Wright is coming our way soon. Get ready for American Fiction! The movie is written and directed by Cord Jefferson, who makes his directorial debut.

And like many great movies, the production is based on a 2001 book. What is that novel? What’s the upcoming film all about? We’ve got all the answers you’re looking for below!

American Fiction release date (where to watch)

American Fiction makes its debut on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 in theaters only. At this time, it’s not known where the movie will stream after its run in cinemas. Since the company in charge of distributing the film is Amazon MGM Studios, it’s very possible the production will eventually stream on Prime Video. But without confirmation, we’ll have to wait and see what is announced.

The satirical comedy drama is a bit on the longer side, coming in at a total of one hour and 57 minutes. I mean, it’s not too bad. But it is longer than the usual hour and a half. The movie is also Rated R for language, some drug use, sexual references, and brief violence.

What is American Fiction about?

American Fiction is based on the novel Erasure by author Percival Everett. So what can you expect to see? The story is centered around Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a novelist who’s tired of the entertainment industry getting money and profiting from using Black stereotypes, per the synopsis. In response, he decides to write an “outlandish Black book” under a pen name. Check out the full description and trailer below:

"Thelonious “Monk” Ellison is a respected author and professor of English literature. But his impatience with his students’ cultural sensitivities threatens his academic standing, while his latest novel fails to attract publishers who claim Monk’s writing ‘isn’t Black enough.’ He travels to his hometown of Boston to participate in a literary festival where all eyes are on the first- time author of a bestseller titled We’s Lives In Da Ghetto, a book Monk dismisses as pandering to readers seeking stereotypical stories of Black misery.Meanwhile, Monk’s family experiences tragedy and his ailing mother requires a level of care neither he nor his complicated and self- proclaimed black sheep of a brother can afford. One night, in a fit of spite, Monk concocts a pseudonymous novel, My Pafology, embodying every Black cliché he can imagine. His agent submits it to a major publisher who immediately offers the biggest advance Monk’s ever seen. As the novel is rushed to the printers and Hollywood comes courting, Monk must reckon with an identity of his own making."

The trailer reveal’s Monk’s frustration and struggle with the publishers, how the book under his pseudonym finds crazy success, and how he realizes he needs to “cater to people’s tastes.” We also see some of the star-studded cast who are part of this project! Read on below for the full list of stars.

Cast: Who stars in the movie?

Jeffrey Wright takes on the lead role of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. The actor is known for his roles as  Beetee Latier in The Hunger Games movies, voices Isaac Dixon in The Last of Us Part II video game, Bernard Lowe in Westworld on HBO, and James Gordon in the 2022 Batman movie. Joining the talent onscreen are Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, and This is Us’ Sterling K. Brown. We shared the full cast list and the characters they all play below:

• Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison
• Tracee Ellis Ross as Lisa Ellison
• Issa Rae as Sintara Golden
• Sterling K. Brown as Clifford “Cliff” Ellison
• John Ortiz as Arthur
• Erika Alexander as Coraline
• Adam Brody as Wiley
• Leslie Uggams as Agnes Ellison
• Keith David as Willy the Wonker

Check out the cast in the first-look images below!

American Fiction makes its debut on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 in theaters. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you news on where you can eventually stream the movie!