'Antebellum' trailer sees Janelle Monae plunged into a horrifying alternate reality

If there’s anything that can top a movie trailer that seemingly drops out of thin air with no prior warning, it’s a movie trailer that seemingly drops out of thin air with no prior warning to a super secret film starring Janelle Monáe.

In the first teaser for Antebellum, an upcoming horror thriller from the producer of Get Out, the singer-turned-actor can be seen being plunged into a terrifying alternate reality.

Other than the fact that it’ll be written and director by Gerard Bush and Christoper Renz and that she’ll be playing a successful author named Veronica Henley - who stumbles across a mind-bending mystery - little is known about the plot.

What we do know is that Monáe will be joined on screen by American Horror Story star Gabourey Sidibe, Kiersey Clemons (Flatliners), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Eric Lange (Narcos), Marque Richardson (Dear White People) and The Hunger Games’ Jena Malone.

Roswell, New Mexico actor Lily Cowles, Tongayi Chirisa (iZombie) and Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones) are also on board.

The footage also indicates that modern woman Veronica will find herself trapped in a pre-Civil War world where she - and many others - are put to work on a wealthy-looking estate.

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Lionsgate also unveiled the film’s first set of posters - one white, one black, one red but with the same design - which depicts a bleeding butterfly and the sinister-sounding tagline: “If it chooses you, nothing can save you.”

Since making her on screen acting debut in Oscar-winning drama Moonlight back in 2016, Monáe has starred in outings such as Hidden Figures, Welcome to Marwen and Harriet, opposite Cynthia Erivo. She has also voiced animated characters in UglyDolls and Lady and the Tramp.

Antebellum will be released in cinemas across the UK & Ireland in Spring 2020.