Amazon MGM Studios just dropped the trailer for Sarah’s Oil, the powerful true story of 11-year-old Sarah Rector—once the richest Black girl in America—and it’s arriving in theaters earlier than expected. Originally set for a Christmas Day debut, the release date has been bumped up to November 7, 2025.
Set in early 1900s Oklahoma, Sarah’s Oil follows Sarah Rector, a young African American girl who became a millionaire after discovering oil on the land she was allotted. But with wealth came predators—greedy speculators, con artists, and people in power who tried to take advantage of her youth and inexperience.
Naya Desir-Johnson stars as Sarah in her first lead role, supported by an ensemble that includes Zachary Levi, Sonequa Martin-Green, Garret Dillahunt, Mel Rodriguez, Kenric Green, Bridget Regan, Adyan Copes, and Stelio Savante.
The film is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and co-written by him and Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh. It’s inspired by the book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Sarah’s Oil is the remarkable true story of Sarah Rector, an African-American girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory who believed there was oil beneath her land—and she was right. As oil speculators closed in, Sarah turned to her family, friends, and a crew of Texas wildcatters to protect what was hers. At just eleven years old, she became one of the nation’s first Black female millionaires.
The film is backed by an all-star production team including producers John Shepherd, Derrick Williams, Kevin Downes, Andrew Erwin, Daryl Lefever, Jon Erwin, and Zachary Levi for Wyldwood Productions. Executive producers include Russell Wilson and Ciara for Why Not You Productions, along with Sherry Kang, Tony Young, Katelyn Botsch, and Robert Scott Fort.
The trailer is out now. Watch it and let us know—will you be checking out Sarah’s Oil when it hits theaters November