'Da 5 Bloods': Watch the first trailer for Spike Lee's Vietnam War film

Tom Butler
·Editor, Yahoo Entertainment UK
Updated ·2 min read

Chadwick Boseman plays a Vietnam war solider burying treasure in the first trailer for Spike Lee’s new film Da 5 Bloods.

The movie, which is the director’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning film BlacKkKlansman, jumps back and forth in time as it follows four present day African-American veterans who head back to Vietnam in search of the remains of their dead squad leader – and the buried treasure, as well as Boseman’s exploits during the conflict.

The trailer shows Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr) as they arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City and reminisce about their fallen comrade.

DA 5 BLOODS (L to R) JONATHAN MAJORS as DAVID , ISIAH WHITLOCK JR. as MELVIN , NORM LEWIS as EDDIE , CLARKE PETERS as OTIS , DELROY LINDO as PAUL of DA 5 BLOODS (DAVID LEE /NETFLIX © 2020)
DA 5 BLOODS (L to R) JONATHAN MAJORS as DAVID , ISIAH WHITLOCK JR. as MELVIN , NORM LEWIS as EDDIE , CLARKE PETERS as OTIS , DELROY LINDO as PAUL of DA 5 BLOODS (DAVID LEE /NETFLIX © 2020)

The trailer shows the present day footage in widescreen, while Black Panther star Boseman’s scenes during the war are presented in 4:3 aspect ratio, in accordance with real footage from the time.

Da 5 Bloods also stars Jonathan Majors and Jean Reno.

Read more: Spike Lee responds to Donald Trump

In 2019 French actor Reno revealed that it had been a gruelling shoot.

“We have been shooting in Thailand,” Reno told PA. “[Spike Lee] was very unique. But very difficult – the most difficult thing is the heat inside the jungle. It is very difficult.

Key art for Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods. (Netflix)
Key art for Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods. (Netflix)

“You have to preserve yourself and be careful because some people, they fainted because of the heat and humidity.”

Here’s the synopsis: From Academy Award® Winner Spike Lee comes a New Joint: the story of four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) — who return to Vietnam. Searching for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure, our heroes, joined by Paul's concerned son (Jonathan Majors), battle forces of Man and Nature — while confronted by the lasting ravages of The Immorality of The Vietnam War.

Spike Lee won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award in 2019 for BlacKkKlansman and was due to head up the 2020 Cannes Film Festival jury before it was cancelled due to coronavirus.

The film will be released on Netflix on 12 June.