‘United States vs Billie Holiday’ Debuts a Trailer and Announces a Hulu Release

Hulu just released the first trailer for The United States vs. Billie Holiday starring Grammy Award nominee Andra Day. The streaming service unveiled the trailer while announcing they’ve picked up the U.S. rights to the much-anticipated drama from Oscar nominee Lee Daniels (Precious).

In addition to Andra Day as the legendary Billie Holiday, the cast includes Trevante Rhodes, Natasha Lyonne, and Garrett Hedlund. Miss Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Tone Bell, and Erik LaRay Harvey also star.

Hulu has set a February 26, 2021 premiere date.

“Whether you are new to the story and legacy of Billie Holiday or know every note she ever sang, I do hope our celebration of this complex woman does justice to a great musical legend and civil rights activist whose artistry resonates as well today, as it did 80 years ago. Hulu releasing this film and giving it a platform to be seen nationwide is a blessing, because as recent events reveal, our country has much work to do in fulfilling its promise of a more perfect union,” stated Lee Daniels.

Lee Daniels, Jordan Fudge, Pamela Oas Williams, Tucker Tooley, Joe Roth, and Jeff Kirschenbaum produce with New Slate Ventures, Lee Daniels Entertainment, and Roth Kirschenbaum Films. Hilary Shor, Jeremy Allen, Patty Long, Johann Hari, Cassian Elwes, Mark Bomback, and Dennis Stratton serve as executive producers.

The Plot, Courtesy of Hulu:

The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940’s in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” Led by Oscar® nominated director Lee Daniels and introducing Grammy® nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday unapologetically presents the icon’s complicated, irrepressible life.

Screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pens this intimate tale of a fierce trailblazer whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement.

The United States vs Billie Holiday