‘Origin’ Trailer: Aunjanue Ellis and Jon Bernthal Star in Ava DuVernay’s New Film

A new film by Ava DuVernay is heading to theatres next month. Neon released the official trailer for Origin, which is based on the non-fiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Aunjaune Ellis stars as Wilkerson and Jon Bernthal stars as her husband Brett Hamilton. Origin also stars Very Farmiga, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nick Offerman and Blair Underwood. The movie will be released in theatres nationwide on Jan. 19, 2024. It currently has a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles. 

“Isabel experiences unfathomable personal loss and love as she crosses continents and cultures to craft one of the defining American books of our time,” the official synopsis states. “Inspired by the New York Times best-seller Caste, ORIGIN explores the mystery of history, the wonders of romance and a fight for the future of us all.”

DuVernay directed and wrote the flim that officially premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September. Origin has received award nominations and wins over the past few months and has a chance to earn Academy Award nods. 

In September, DuVernay spoke to Deadline about Neon landing the rights for Origin. ” I’ve long admired what [Neon co-founder and CEO] Tom Quinn has done and the way he’s done it,” she said. “I met him years ago when my film Middle of Nowhere debuted at Sundance. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch and cheered each other on. With Origin, everything just clicked. Right time, right film. I’m very much looking forward to working with him and the stellar team at Neon. The passion they have for films is palpable in every conversation with them and every move they make.”

DuVernay also talked about getting people engaged in conversation after watching her film. “They’re literally taking books off shelves in our country, they’re literally denying history, we can’t just say it’s ‘they’ — we are allowing it,” she explained. “It is happening here and now. So, looking back over history, we need to remember where this stuff leads. Understand that we’re in the midst of it. We can argue about it, we can debate it, but we need to be thinking about it and talking about it and actively engaging. And so that is my hope — I hope people come out of Origin talking.”