'When They See Us' Trailer: Ava DuVernay Takes On The Central Park Five Case In Netflix Limited Series

Ava DuVernay's highly anticipated limited series on the Central Park Five now has a trailer. Now titled When They See Us, Duvernay chronicles the notorious case of five teenagers of color, labeled the Central Park Five, who were accused of a rape they did not commit. Netflix has released a When They See Us trailer for the four-part limited series, which you can watch below.

Following her harrowing Oscar-nominated documentary on mass incarceration in the U.S., DuVernay has partnered up with Netflix again for another powerful project. When They See Us is a dramatized series about the true story that rocked the nation in 1989, when five teen boys of color were arrested and wrongly convicted of the rape of a jogger in Central Park.

The project is one close to DuVernay's heart, and the kind of material that she excels at — her breakout film Selma earned several Oscar nominations (though, irritatingly, not one for Best Director).DuVernay has a talent for changing minds and hearts, as seen in her last Netflix collaboration 13th, the documentary on mass incarceration that earned her a Best Documentary nod. With When They See Us, DuVernay explained the importance of this series, and why it has been retitled to reflect that.

"In 1989, five black and brown teen boys were wrongly accused of a crime they did not commit and branded The Central Park Five, a moniker that has followed them since that time," Duvernay said. "In 2019, our series gives the five men a platform to finally raise their voices and tell their full stories. In doing so, Korey, Antron, Raymond, Kevin and Yusef also tell the story of many young people of color unjustly ensnared in the criminal justice system. We wanted to reflect this perspective in our title, embracing the humanity of the men and not their politicized moniker."

When They See Us was created by DuVernay, who also co-wrote and directed the four parts alongside writers Attica Locke, Robin Swicord, and Michael Starrburry. Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey from Harpo Films, and Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh from Tribeca Productions executive produce the limited series alongside DuVernay through her banner, Forward Movement.

Here is the synopsis for When They See Us:

Based on a true story that gripped the country, When They See Us will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color, labeled the Central Park Five, who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The four part limited series will focus on the five teenagers from Harlem — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. Beginning in the spring of 1989, when the teenagers were first questioned about the incident, the series will span 25 years, highlighting their exoneration in 2002 and the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.

When They See Us premieres on Netflix on May 31, 2019.