We've been seeing quite a lot of Lyndon B. Johnson over the past few years played by a variety of actors, such as Liev Schrieber in THE BUTLER, Tom Wilkinson in SELMA, Bryan Cranston in ALL THE WAY, and John Carroll Lynch in JACKIE. The latest actor to put his own spin on the 36th President of the United States will be Woody Harrelson in Rob Reiner's LBJ. The upcoming political biopic follows Johnson's time as Vice-President under John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan) and his unexpected rise to power after Kennedy's assassination. With political bickering coming from both sides, Johnson seeks to heal the nation and secure his legacy by passing Kennedy’s historic Civil Rights Act. The first trailer for LBJ has been released, check it out below!
The makeup seems to be a little hit and miss, but the film certainly looks watchable. LBJ director Rob Reiner spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the movie, calling Johnson "complex" and a "almost Shakespearean" character. Reiner added that Johnson's "strength and effectiveness as a leader was matched by a deep insecurity and a need to be loved. Had it not been for Vietnam, he would have gone down as one of America’s greatest presidents."
The official synopsis for LBJ:
After powerful Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (Woody Harrelson) loses the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to Senator John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan), he agrees to be his young rival’s running mate. But once they win the election, despite his extensive legislative experience and shrewd political instincts, Johnson finds himself sidelined in the role of vice president. That all changes on Nov. 22, 1963, when Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson, with his devoted wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, is suddenly thrust into the presidency. As the nation mourns, Johnson must contend with longtime adversary Attorney General Bobby Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) and one-time mentor Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins) as he seeks to honor JFK’s legacy by championing the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.
LBJ is set for a November 3, 2017 release.