21 Savage, Donald Glover, and Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin have come together for a new movie about the Atlanta rapper’s life and infamous 2018 arrest by the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a new trailer, which doubles as a music video for a brand new 21 Savage song, Glover and McLaughlin play 21 Savage at various points in his life. The clip also shows Jabari Banks as Metro Boomin. Watch below.
The new movie, American Dream: The 21 Savage Story, does not currently have a release date. Additional stars in the film include Natasha Lyonne, comedian Druski, Gail Bean, Chad Lindberg, Victoria Pedretti, and Young Mazino. The trailer is directed by Donald and Stephen Glover, Jamal Olori, and Fam Udeorji.
Under his Childish Gambino moniker, Donald Glover has a long history with 21 Savage, including enlisting him for backing vocals on his smash hit “This Is America” and on the subsequent “12.38.” He also appeared on 21 Savage’s song “Monster” in 2018, before performing it with him at Lollapalooza.
21 Savage’s arrest at the hands of ICE in 2018 came as a shock to the hip-hop world. The episode, which took place during Donald J. Trump’s presidency, revealed details of the rapper’s life, including the then-unpublicized fact that he was born in the United Kingdom before moving, as a child, to Atlanta, the city where he made his name.
The rapper’s lawyer said 21 Savage “never hid his immigration status from the U.S. government,” and that the investigation served “no other purpose than to unnecessarily punish him and try to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States.” In an interview with Good Morning America after his release, 21 Savage said he was targeted by ICE, perhaps due to his public criticism of the U.S. immigration system. He has since become a permanent U.S. citizen and returned to the United Kingdom to perform.