First Trailer: ‘The Butler’ Starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey

Here’s the debut trailer for The Butler, starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, John Cusack, David Oyelowo, Mariah Carey, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Leo, James Marsden, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, and Liev Schreiber.

Directed by Lee Daniels (Precious, The Paperboy), the film is based on the true story of a butler who served in the White House during eight different presidencies for over 30 years.

Though it looks similar to something the Hallmark channel would put out, the star power and director could make it worth a watch. The Butler hits theaters October 18th, hit the jump for the trailer and synopsis.

THE BUTLER, based on the screenplay by Danny Strong & Lee Daniels, is inspired by Wil Haygood’s Washington Post article about an African-American man who served as a butler (Whitaker) to eight Presidents in the White House for over thirty years. From this unique vantage point, THE BUTLER traces the dramatic changes that swept American society, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family.