Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the film follows the notorious trial that followed what was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard.
The organisers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Redmayne, who plays Hayden, opens the trailer, saying: “We want to underscore again that we are coming to Chicago peacefully, but whether we are given permits or not, we are coming.”
Cohen, who plays Hoffman, says “This is a real revolution, we may have to hurt somebody’s feelings.”
Watchmen actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who plays Seale, also appears in the footage and says: “There’s no place to be but in it,” while Succession’s Jeremy Strong plays Rubin and can be seen saying: “If we leave without saying anything about why we came in the first place, it will be heartbreaking.”
The trailer also shows Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark, telling the court: “The riots were started by the Chicago Police Department,” and Frank Langella’s judge saying: “Sustained,” before Sir Mark Rylance, as the group’s lawyer William Kunstler, points out: “Nobody objected.”
The film is The West Wing writer Sorkin’s second directorial effort, following 2017’s Molly’s Game.
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 will be released on Netflix on October 16.
