Is that Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Roundtree back on the streets as that very special man Shaft? You daammnn right.
Warner Bros. just released the first trailer for the reboot directed by Tim Story and written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow. And in it, Jackson and Roundtree reprise their roles as the slick detective John Shaft to usher in the next generation, Shaft’s son, as played by Jesse T. Usher. That means ass-whuppin’ across three generations.
“Don’t mind him. He thinks he’s the black James Bond,” Usher’s John Shaft Jr. says in the trailer.
“If he were real, he’d think he was me,” Jackson’s Shaft replies.
This first trailer truly captures the ’70s blaxploitation swagger, look and humor of the original film, and Regina Hall (“Girls Trip”) also joins the cast to bring a nice touch to the boys club as the young Shaft’s mother.
And “Shaft” has clearly gotten woke too. In one scene in the trailer, Shaft’s son says it’s misogynistic to hit a woman, even as she’s just raised a bat to attack them.
“You’re the one being misogynistic,” Jackson’s Shaft replies. “I never said anything about her gender. I’m an equal-opportunity ass-whupper.”
Here’s the full, official synopsis:
JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Jesse T. Usher), may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather duster, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.
“Shaft” hits theaters June 14, 2019. Watch the first trailer for the film above.