WATCH: The First Trailer for Spike Lee’s ‘Chi-Raq’

By Sameer Rao Nov 04, 2015

The Spike Lee film that pissed off Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel will hit the big screen soon—and the just-dropped first trailer is a sight to behold. 

Premiered via Amazon Studios, which will release "Chi-Raq" in theaters on December 4 before offering it on Amazon Instant Video, the trailer prominently features Samuel L. Jackson as the film’s narrator. Based on the Greek comedy "Lysistrata," the film stars Teyonah Parris as a woman (also named "Lysistrata") who mobilizes other women on Chicago’s South Side to withold sex from their male partners to stop rampant gang violence. The film draws on Chicago’s real-life spike in gang-related murders—the same violence that lead to the city being dubbed "Chi-Raq."

The trailer has already drawn a range of reactions, from enthusiasm about the film’s direction and themes to anger at its handling of a very real crisis Chicago: 

 

Besides Parris and Jackson, the film also stars Nick Cannon, Angela Bassett, Dave Chappelle, Jennifer Hudson and John Cusack. Check out the trailer above. 

(H/t Variety)