Taraji P. Henson is switching gears from playing a gifted mathematician to a gifted assassin. A trailer has just been released for the “Hidden Figures” star’s next film, “Proud Mary.”
The spot doesn’t reveal much about the plot, but we’re shown Mary’s extensive collection of guns and it’s clear that she uses prized possessions often and well. The action-packed clip includes footage of Mary taking lots of shots, and making short work of any obstacles in her way.
As enjoyable as it is to watch Henson kick ass, the film’s official synopsis gives a clearer idea of what to expect from “Proud Mary”: The “Empire” star plays a “ruthless professional hit-woman for the Boston mob who breaks good after she meets a young boy who awakens her maternal instinct in her that she never knew she had.” The trailer does include a brief snippet of Mary’s first encounter with the boy.
Henson received an Oscar nod in 2009 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” The actress revealed that she earned “the equivalent of sofa change” for the role in her new memoir, “Around the Way.” She also shared that was passed over for Naomi Watts’ role in “St. Vincent,” despite the fact that the character was written specifically for her. Someone with greenlight power “couldn’t see black women beyond a very limited purview he or she thought ‘fit’ audience expectations,” she explained.
“The math really is pretty simple: there are way more talented black actresses than there are intelligent, meaningful roles for them, and we’re consistently charged with diving for the crumbs of the scraps, lest we starve,” Henson wrote.
“Proud Mary” hits theaters January 12.
