The first trailer for a new film about the life of Billie Holiday has been revealed – scroll down the page to watch it now.

The United States vs Billie Holiday is directed by Lee Daniels and features Andra Day as the iconic singer, alongside fellow cast members Natasha Lyonne, Garrett Hedlund, Trevante Rhodes and more.

• Read more: Billie review: a rich yet heartbreaking documentary on all-time great Billie Holiday

The trailer shows Holiday being celebrated and adored by her audiences, but also provoking the ire of the authorities with her song ‘Strange Fruit’ – a protest song about the racism and brutality that was happening in the American South at the time.

“You think I’m going to stop singing that song?” Day can be heard saying at the end of the trailer. “Your grandkids will be singing ‘Strange Fruit’.” Watch the trailer below now.

 

In a press release, director Daniels said: “Whether you are new to the story and legacy of Billie Holiday or know every note she ever sang, I do hope our celebration of this complex woman does justice to a great musical legend and civil rights activist whose artistry resonates as well today, as it did 80 years ago.

“Hulu releasing this film [in the US] and giving it a platform to be seen nationwide is a blessing, because as recent events reveal, our country has much work to do in fulfilling its promise of a more perfect union.”

The United States vs Billie Holiday will be released in cinemas in the UK on March 12.

The trailer follows a series of first images that were shared from the film last year. The stills showed moments from the movie with Day playing Holiday on stage, and the Federal Department of Narcotics planning her downfall.

Speaking about listening to Holiday’s music for the first time, alongside the release of the images, Day said: “I was like, ‘What?! This is nothing like Whitney Houston!’ It really transformed me as a singer.”