Here's The First Trailer For Spike Lee's 'Chi-Raq'

By Emma G. Gallegos in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 3, 2015 9:14PM

Chiraq

The first trailer for Chi-Raq—the upcoming Spike Lee film that has thrown Chicago's aldermen into a tizzy—is here.

"This is an emergency," a voice repeats as the trailer opens, before a snippet of a newscast breaks in: "Homicides in Chicago, Illinois have surpassed the death toll of American special forces in Iraq."

Samuel L. Jackson narrates the darkly comic trailer that includes a couple of Lee's trademark dolly shots. Chicago's violence sets the backdrop of Lee's retelling of the Greek comedy “Lysistrata,” by Aristophanes. In the lead role, Teyonah Paris rallies the women together to stop violence by withholding sex. The trailer shows the women chanting "I will deny rights of access and entrance."

Nick Cannon, John Cusack, Jennifer Hudson also appear in the trailer. The film is scheduled to have a limited release on Dec. 4 by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate. It will later be released through Amazon Instant Video, according to Variety.