First poster for Lee Daniels' 'The Butler' starring Forest Whitaker

He'll soon be playing civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Paul Greengrass' newly-revived biopic, Memphis, but before that Forest Whitaker will play a less familiar figure who watched the movement unfold from a unique vantage point. He'll depict the life of Eugene Allen in Lee Daniels' upcoming historical drama, The Butler, which features an unprecedented cast and is being geared towards an Oscar run this fall. The Weinstein Company is getting the push started early by releasing the first poster, hinting at the story's historical significance.

The story centers on Cecil Gaines (Whitaker), a White House butler who served under eight Presidents over the course of three decades, working his way up to the prestigious rank of maître d’hôtel. From his inside position he saw the shifting face of American society, from the civil rights to the Vietnam War and more. Oprah Winfrey plays his wife, with David Oyelowo as his son, and the rest of the star-studded cast includes Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, John Cusack, Minka Kelly, Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mariah Carey, James Marsden, Robin Williams, Alex Pettyfer, Liev Schreiber, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Leo, Vanessa Redgrave and many more as prominent cultural icons.

The Butler hits theaters on August 16th.[Moviefone]