Amazon MGM Studios has unveiled the first trailer for “Nickel Boys,” the debut narrative feature from RaMell Ross, known for his Oscar-nominated 2018 documentary, “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.” The film, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is set to premiere at the New York Film Festival and will be released in select theaters on October 25.
“Nickel Boys” tells the harrowing story of a friendship between two young Black men at a notorious reform school in Florida during the 1960s. The cast features Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, and Daveed Diggs. The film reunites Ellis and Herisse, who previously portrayed mother and son in Ava DuVernay’s acclaimed 2019 series, “When They See Us.”
The narrative centers on Elwood Curtis, a young Black boy in 1960s Tallahassee who is unjustly sentenced to the Nickel Academy, a reform school infamous for its brutal treatment of students. The film explores Elwood’s struggle to maintain his ideals despite the harsh realities of the academy, and his evolving friendship with Turner, a fellow inmate who believes that survival depends on outsmarting the system. The tension between Elwood’s optimism and Turner’s skepticism drives the story to a climactic decision with long-lasting consequences.
RaMell Ross co-wrote the screenplay with Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films. The production team includes prominent industry figures such as Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner from Plan B, alongside David Levine and Joslyn Barnes. Anonymous Content and Louverture Films are also involved in the production.
“Nickel Boys” is poised to follow the success of other Amazon MGM Studios projects, such as “American Fiction,” which recently grossed over $21 million after winning the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. That film earned Cord Jefferson an Oscar for Adapted Screenplay and received nominations for Best Picture, Original Score, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), and Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown).
Colson Whitehead’s “Nickel Boys” is his second Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, following his 2016 book “The Underground Railroad.” The film’s release coincides with other major theatrical releases, including Sony’s “Venom: The Last Dance” and Cinedigm’s “Terrifier 3,” setting the stage for a competitive box office season.
Fans of Whitehead’s work and those looking forward to Ross’s narrative filmmaking debut will find “Nickel Boys” to be a powerful exploration of race, friendship, and resilience.