The new trailer for The Book of Clarence starts out like the beginning of a sports movie where the protagonist shows you his humble beginnings and then take you on his journey to greatness.


The beginning kinda sorta tricks you that you might be watching the trailer of Gladiator 2. But instead of Paul Mescal, it's LaKeith Stanfield walking in slow motion, snatching a sword stuck on the ground and then proceeds to fight in an arena.

“I'm Clarence. Where I'm from, you fight to survive,” he intones, again, echoing countless kid-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks-wanting-to-make-it-big movie tropes.

And the line, “Mom, one day I'm going to get you out of here. I have a plan,” smacks of that same trope.

His plan is to emulate Jesus of Nazareth and his miracle-making ways.

However, Clarence actually ends up pretending to perform miracles like raising his friend, Elijah, from the dead by saying, “Oh dead one, open your eyes,” as he jumps up.

It feels a lot like someone watching an influencer do really well and thinking, “I can do that, too.” The difference is Clarence lives in the time of the Roman Empire, and Jesus is the influencer.

The Book of Clarence and the Roman Empire

Speaking of the Roman Empire, its representative is James MacAvoy, complete with the outfit and eyeliner. He arrests Clarence for fraud, but gives him an out: give Jesus of Nazareth up to Rome and he can have everything he wants.

The film is directed by Jeymes Samuel making a triumphant return from his BAFTA-winning Western movie The Harder They Fall released in 2021. The Book of Clarence reunites him with Stanfield.

While the trailer talks about and shows, albeit with his face hidden from view, Jesus, it looks like it won't be about religious sentiments as found in a Biblical epic. It will focus on the lives of ordinary people in Jerusalem.

Like I said, it plays out very much like a coming-up story, complete with scenes from a club, Common Era style.

Speaking of clubs, the movie's sound track is nothing short of miraculous with songs from Jay Z, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Shabba Ranks and Stanfield himself.

The film also boasts an all-star cast with David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Micheal Ward and RJ Cyler. And Benedict Cumberbatch's there, too.

Jay-Z and Samuel's collaboration continued from The Harder They Fall. The rap mogul produced the movie as well. Samuel previously spoke with Vanity Fair and said, “I wanted to tell a Bible story about an everyman.”

“I always wanted to explore the Bible stories, but from the angle of the person that sells Jesus his sandals, the woman or man that owns the hair salon,” he continued.

The Book of Clarence will be in theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.