First trailer for Netflix’s When They See Us premieres, includes Felicity Huffman, but that’s hardly the point

Thirty years to the day of the brutal attack that ensnared five boys who became known as the Central Park Five, Netflix and Ava DuVernay have released a trailer for When They See Us, the upcoming limited series based on their story.

The infamous case depicted in When They See Us saw five innocent teenagers of color accused of the 1989 rape of a white woman in Central Park. The teens, Antron McCray (Jovah Adepo), Yusuf Salaam (Chris Chalk), Raymond Santana, Jr. (Freddy Miyares), Kevin Richardson (Justin Cunningham), and Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome), were tried in the court of public opinion and railroaded through the legal system, starting a harrowing and long-fought journey for justice.

Fittingly, the tagline  for the series is “The story you know is the lie they told you.” The moving trailer showcases the story the series will tell of the accused young men from their arrests through their decades-long battle to be exonerated.

Take a look below:

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The four-part series will hit Netflix on May 31. It was created, co-written, and directed by DuVernay.

In addition, to the actors playing the Central Park Five, the cast boasts a star-studded line-up that includes Michael Kenneth Williams, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, Blair Underwood, Niecy Nash, Famke Janssen, Joshua Jackson, and Felicity Huffman.

Huffman — who plays prosecutor Linda Fairstein the head of the sex crimes office at the Manhattan district attorney during the case —  is currently tied up in legal trouble in real life due to the college bribery scandal called “Operation Varsity Blue.” Huffman has agreed to plead guilty to the charges against her and has apologized and expressed her “deep regret” over her actions, according to Deadline. She will be back in court on May 21.

Huffman’s situation hasn’t stopped Netflix from scheduling the series. Despite the scandal, she is only one part of a series that focuses on a much larger issue and features a sprawling cast. Netflix is betting that Huffman’s legal issues will not be a deterrent to viewers who are interested in this dramatization of a case whose themes are still relevant today.

In addition to the trailer, DuVernay and Netflix also announced they are launching a campaign for criminal justice reform in conjunction with the series. The series could offer a platform to draw more people’s attention to the issue of criminal justice reform and get them involved in the movement, which would make When they See Us an important catalyst for social change.

Are you looking forward to seeing When They See Us when it premieres on Netflix on May 31? Share your thoughts in the comments.

(Source: Deadline)