Of Course the Trailer for Barry Jenkins' James Baldwin Adaptation Is Beautiful

Barry Jenkins, writer and director of 2016’s Moonlight, has shared the trailer for his new movie based on a James Baldwin book.

The film is an adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk, Baldwin’s 1974 novel about a young couple in Harlem, Tish and Fonny, whose future is torn apart when Fonny is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.

Jenkins previously told Esquire about writing the adaptation:

“Beale Street I wrote in Berlin. Moonlight I wrote in Belgium. I wrote it without the rights because again, in some ways, it was a reaction to putting so much energy in the commercial company. No matter how much you convince yourself, that kind of work purely about making money. I said, Well, I’m going to just do exactly what I want to do. I love this book. I love this play. I’m going to write those things, and I’ll fucking figure it out after. Yeah, I mean, here it is three years later. I still don’t have the rights to the book, as I shouldn’t. Mr. Baldwin’s only been adapted once. This would only be the second time. It’s a big deal. It’s a big responsibility.”

The movie, in select theaters November 30, also stars Regina King, Teyonah Parris, and Brian Tyree Henry. Jenkins shared the trailer on Thursday in honor of Baldwin’s birthday.