Aug. 4 (UPI) — The Harder They Fall will open the 65th annual BFI London Film Festival.
Organizers said Wednesday that the Netflix Western film will screen during the festival’s opening night gala in October.
The Harder They Fall will have its world premiere Oct. 6 at the BFI London Film Festival venue at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Londoner Jeymes Samuel, who directed the film, is expected to attend, along with cast members Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Regina King and Idris Elba.
“It’s a great honor that The Harder They Fall will have its world premiere opening the 65th BFI London Film Festival,” Samuel said in a statement. “Growing up in the U.K., the festival has always been the highlight of my year and I couldn’t have imagined anything better than to have my debut film included in this year’s lineup.”
The Harder They Fall will simultaneously have preview screenings at theaters across the United Kingdom. The movie will premiere Nov. 3 on Netflix after opening in U.K. cinemas.
Jeymes Samuel and Boaz Yakin wrote the script for the new film, which features an original soundtrack album produced by Samuel and executive produced by Shawn Carter, aka Jay Z.
The Harder They Fall follows Nat Love (Majors), an outlaw who seeks revenge on Rufus Buck (Elba), the man who killed his parents. Nat is joined by Stagecoach Mary (Beetz), Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler), while Rufus’ gang includes “Treacherous” Trudy Smith (King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield).
Netflix shared a teaser trailer for the film in June.
The BFI London Film Festival will take place Oct. 6-17.