Imagine you've been tasked with creating a poster for Shaft, the highly-anticipated sequel-slash-reboot of John Singleton's 2000 film of the same name. Presumably, your job will be to convey the grittiness of the material, the flavor of the film, and the storied legacy of the Shaft franchise.
You might also be inclined to make a killer dick joke.
This, friends, is the first poster for Tim Story's Shaft, which - as the poster suggests - will find Samuel L. Jackson's Shaft joining forces with a younger generation Shaft, played by Jessie T. Usher, as well as the original Shaft (the great Richard Roundtree). Here's an unusually lengthy official plot synopsis:
"Shaft is the next chapter in the film franchise featuring the coolest private eye on any New York City block. JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher), may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather coat, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal."
In addition to Usher, Roundtree and Jackson, Shaft will also feature performances from Alexandra Ship, Matt Lauria, Titus Welliver, and Chris "Method Man" Smith. According to social media, the first trailer arrives sometime tomorrow. We'll watch it, of course - and will have it here on the site for your perusal - but let's be honest: we were sold the minute we saw that tagline. Congrats on not holding anything back, Warner Bros. Respect.
Shaft hits theaters on June 14th.