David Farnor | On 31, Jul 2015

The first trailer for Beasts of No Nation has been released.

The movie, which is based on the novel by Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala, will be Netflix’s first original fictional feature – a milestone in its steps to becoming an acclaimed producer as well as distributor.

The drama is directed by Cary Fukunaga and follows the tale of Agu, a child soldier torn from his family to fight in the civil war of an African country. Newcomer Abraham Attah will play the young boy, while Luther and The Wire star Idris Elba will play Commandant, a warlord who takes in Agu and instructs him in the ways of war.

The movie will be released theatrically in select cinemas in the US on the same day as it is released worldwide on Netflix, a strategy that will make it eligible for awards consideration. Indeed, Netflix already has two Oscar nominations under its belt, thanks to its acquisition of documentaries Virunga and The Square. Now, though, the VOD service is aiming even higher, with Beasts of No Nation the first in a bold slate of original programming that will also include movies by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Here’s the trailer:

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