'Birth of a Nation' Lands Fall Release Date

By Pamela McClintock

Next year’s awards race is already shaping up.

Fox Searchlight has set an Oct. 7 release date for 2016 Sundance Film Festival sensation, The Birth of a Nation. Searchlight will open the film nationwide, versus a platform release.

Nate Parker wrote, directed and stars in the film, which is based on the story of Nat Turner, an American-born slave who led the most successful slave rebellion in American history

Other cast members include Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith and Gabrielle Union.

At Sundance, Birth of a Nation — premiering at the festival in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy — sparked a fierce bidding war that culminated with Searchlight and parent studio Fox paying $17.5 million for worldwide rights to the movie.

The October release calendar is already crowded. Other titles already set to open Oct. 7 include The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck, The Girl on the Train, based on the acclaimed novel, and Gambit.

As THR previously reported, Parker quit acting for nearly two years to work on getting financing for Birth, which also stars Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley and Gabrielle Union.

Parker, Kevin Turen, Jason Michael Berman, Aaron L. Gilbert, and Preston L. Holmes produced the pic, with David S. Goyer, Michael Novogratz, Michael Finley, Tony Parker, Jason Cloth, Jane Oster, Barb Lee, Carl H. Lindner III, Derrick Brooks, Jill and Ryan Ahrens, Armin Tehrany and Mark Moran acting as executive producers.

Related: Sundance: ‘Birth of a Nation’ Sets Record With $17.5M Sale to Fox Searchlight