Over the past decade-and-a-half, Jeffrey Wright has cemented his legacy as one of the great character actors of our time thanks to outstanding performances in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and as Felix Leiter in the Daniel Craig 007 films, to name just a couple of his standout roles. By the end of the 2023 movie schedule, he’ll add another potentially great movie to that list with the upcoming American Fiction.
If this is the first you’re hearing of American Fiction, stick around, because we have a considerable amount of information about its release date, cast, story, and how The Good Place and Watchmen writer Cord Jefferson plans to make this a satirical movie that avoids becoming farcical. Let’s break down what could very well be a film we discuss a great deal in future Oscars conversations.
What Is The American Fiction Release Date?
American Fiction is set for a limited release on December 15, 2023, with a larger rollout the following week, on December 22, 2023. The movie was originally slated for a November release, but it was moved back a month to take advantage of the holiday season, according to Variety.
The American Fiction Cast Includes Jeffrey Wright, Issa Rae, And Sterling K. Brown
American Fiction features a large ensemble cast of tremendous and decorated actors who all bring a lot to the table. Jeffrey Wright leads as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a struggling author who, in a fit of rage, writes a satirical novel that soon takes the world by storm. Issa Rae plays Sinatra Golden, a successful author whose own depiction of the Black community inspires Monk to write a crass novel filled with stereotypes. And Sterling K. Brown comes into the picture as Monk’s brother, Clifford “Cliff” Ellison, who looks like he couldn’t be any more unlike his sibling.
Other members of the American Fiction cast include Tracee Ellis Ross, Syler Wright, Leslie Uggams, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, and Adam Brody, Collider has reported.
The American Fiction Trailer Shows Off The Most Lucrative Joke Ever Told
In October 2023, MGM gave us the first proper look into the world of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison with the release of the American Fiction trailer. This two-and-a-half-minute video not only introduces Jeffrey Wright’s character, and just about everyone in his immediate and not-so-immediate orbit, it also teases the tone and satirical humor of its comedic story. The trailer highlights the most lucrative joke ever told. See for yourself:
If the preview is any indication, we may be looking at the greatest performance of Wright’s career, which is saying something considering he’s appeared in some of the best Wes Anderson movies, played Jean-Michel Basquiat, and been a go-to ally for characters like James Bond and Batman over the years. But to see Wright’s Monk in all his glory, we’ll have to wait for American Fiction to hit theaters.
American Fiction Centers On A Writer Who Pens A Satirical Novel Under A Pseudonym And Deals With The Fallout Of Its Success
American Fiction centers on Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Wright), an author and English professor whose career hasn’t gone anywhere because (according to The Hollywood Reporter) his work isn’t considered “Black enough” by critics and audiences. However, that all changes when Monk writes a satirical novel using a pseudonym that takes off and becomes an immediate success.
What follows is a man coming to terms with fame, his own identity, and how his worldviews are challenged by this new and radically different novel. And, by the looks of it, American Fiction will contain elements of all kinds of genres ranging from comedy to drama to biting social commentary and explorations of the self.
Though American Fiction is satirical, director Cord Jefferson also wanted to ground it enough in reality to avoid turning it into something that could be viewed as a farce. When speaking with Deadline around the time of the film’s world premiere at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival, the writer-turned-director discussed his process of adapting the Erasure novel into American Fiction, saying:
I wanted it to be satire without becoming farce. That was important to me. I think that some satire becomes farcical, and I think that’s totally fine. I think there’s some great farcical films, but I didn’t want to do that with this. I wanted it to feel satirical but also grounded. I think the blending of the family stuff in there grounds it. It grounds the film before it becomes just pure satirical farce.
Jefferson, who previously worked on shows like Master of None, Station Eleven, and the hit HBO drama series Succession, explained later in the interview that he was drawn both to the satirical elements of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel, on which the film is based, as well as the family elements present throughout the story. In fact, many of the conversations brought up in the novel were ones he was already having in his own life when it came to being a Black creative.
American Fiction Is An Adaptation Of Percival Everett’s Novel, Erasure
There are quite a few upcoming book-to-screen adaptations set for release in the near future, and you can add American Fiction to that list of movies that also stand a chance to be up for at least a couple of Academy Awards and other accolades. Cord Jeffereson’s satirical film is based on Percival Everett’s novel, Erasure, a dark comedy about an author who writes a satirical story in a fit of frustration after his more serious work isn’t deemed adequately black.
The novel, which was republished by Graywolf Press in 2011, saw the Monk character go from having his more serious manuscript rejected by more than a dozen publishers to having his satirical novel become the next big thing. At the time of its original publication, a New York Times review of Erasure said the novel contained “equal measures of sympathy and satire” in its approach to the topic of “being black enough.”
What Is The Critical Response To American Fiction?
We’re still several months out from the 96th Academy Awards, but Jeffrey Wright is one of the early Oscar contenders. Following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, American Fiction was presented with the People’s Choice Award, beating out other decorated films like Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron.
When the 2024 Golden Globes nominations were announced in December 2023, it was revealed that American Fiction received nods in two categories: Best Picture, Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. Those nominations, combined with praise surrounding the film since its debut, make a strong case for it doing well this awards season.
What Is American Fiction Rated?
If you’re looking for a movie to watch with the family over the holidays or around the start of the new year, American Fiction might not be the most kid-friendly option for you. According to FilmRatings.com, Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut is rated R for language, drug use, sexual references, and brief violence. It doesn’t sound like the movie is extreme by any means, but do keep the rating in mind.
How Long Is American Fiction?
American Fiction isn’t the shortest movie of the year, but it’s also not going to require you to spend three-and-a-half hours in your seat like Killers of the Flower Moon. According to AMC Theatres, the new satirical comedy has a runtime of one hour, 57 minutes.
Well, now that we know everything there is to know about American Fiction, all there is left to do is make a plan to see it when it hits a theater near you. If you’re interested to see what’s coming out a little later on, check out our 2024 movie schedule for all the latest.
