The first official trailer for Atrabilious has arrived, introducing a bar-colored neo-noir from 21-year-old writer-director William Atticus Parker that pairs Oscar winners Whoopi Goldberg and Alec Baldwin with Jeffrey Wright, Leon Addison Brown, and an ensemble drawn from Broadway and indie film circles. Buffalo 8, which boarded worldwide rights late last year, confirmed that the feature will reach U.S. cinemas on 18 July before moving to Prime Video.
The two-minute preview leans on shadow-lit interiors and clipped dialogue to sketch a father’s hunt for truth after learning that his supposedly deceased son may still be alive. Brown plays the grieving Steven Joyner, while Goldberg appears as enigmatic barkeep Andrea Hart and Baldwin as club proprietor Proctor Carlisle.
Parker shot the picture in New York City during autumn 2022 on a budget he estimated at a “few hundred thousand dollars,” relying on favors from seasoned actors who responded to what he calls a “Greek-tragedy noir.” Production wrapped before Baldwin faced an involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico, allowing his participation without scheduling complications.
Festival programmers gave the cut an early look in mid-2023, and the film now carries a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score from four critics who praise its mix of grief and gallows humor. Distribution talks accelerated after a private Los Angeles screening in November, leading Buffalo 8 to take global rights and position the title as a summer counterprogramming play.
Parker, whose debut Forty Winks featured Susan Sarandon and John Turturro, is the son of actors Mary-Louise Parker and Billy Crudup. He told followers on Instagram that he handled directing, cinematography, and editing duties to protect the “paranoid tempo” he had in mind. Industry observers note that the trailer’s launch places Atrabilious on a release calendar already crowded with large-scale franchise entries, yet its cast and noir tone could attract viewers seeking a darker midsummer option.
