Fox Searchlight has set an end-of-year/awards season release date of December 27, 2013 for Twelve Years a Slave. The dramatic film based on a true story marks the third collaboration between director Steve McQueen and critically acclaimed actor Michael Fassbender. The two previously worked together on Hunger and Shame.
In addition to Fassbender, the cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, and Paul Giamatti. John Ridley adapted Solomon Northup’s book for the screen.
The Plot: Twelve Years a Slave is based on an incredible true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (Fassbender), as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Pitt) will forever alter his life.
