Watch the cameo-filled trailer for Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'

So which Lee Daniels are we going to get with The Butler? Is it the director who came to fame with the powerful...if heavy-handed Precious? Or the guy who gave us amateurish crap like Shadowboxer and The Paperboy? The film certainly has a ton of Oscar cred working in its favor, boasting an incredible ensemble cast, and an incredible true life story of political and social relevance. But even now as the first trailer is here, it's hard to tell if The Butler is an Oscar contender as some predict, or the future punchline of a joke.

Written by Danny Strong (Game Change, Recount) and starring Forest Whitaker in the title role, the film tells the story of Eugene Allen, the White House butler who served under eight administrations and watched the changing face of the civil rights movement from an inside perspective. It's hard to escape the feeling that this is just the African-American version of Forrest Gump, and the cavalcade of cameos lends to that impression. Oprah Winfrey plays Allen's wife, with David Oyelowo as his son, and a number of famous historical figures are portrayed by Alan Rickman, Terrence Howard, Jane Fonda, John Cusack, Robin Williams, Alex Pettyfer, Minka Kelly, Liev Schreiber, Liam Neeson, James Marsden, Vanessa Redgrave, Lenny Kravitz, and more.

So what do you think? The Butler opens later this year.


The Butler by Teaser-Trailer.com