Words by Fatima Barrie
The esteemed, Academy award winning Denzel Washington is going to be hitting the big screen this November playing the leading role of a defense attorney named Roman J. Israel in the film coined by the same name, Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Written and directed by Nightcrawler’s Dan Gilroy, the dramatic thriller’s focal point is the Los Angeles criminal court system and the struggle Israel faces during his fight for social justice. In the captivating trailer, Kendrick Lamar’s “i” is the soundtrack of Israel’s turbulent journey and ongoing battle through activism. After being fired from his law firm, Israel is soon recruited by George Pierce, a liberal lawyer played by actor Colin Farrell, who asks him to join his law firm. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dan Gilroy reveals that Washington was his inspiration behind the film and wrote the character with him in mind, “Denzel embodies the idea of a man living his life on terms that are based on a cause — going toward something. That’s why I really wrote it for him.”
Watch the vibrant and enthralling trailer of Roman J. Israel Esq. which is premiering in theaters on November 3.
