The first trailer has now dropped for writer and director Aaron Sorkin's timely political drama, The Trial of the Chicago 7. Giving us a good look at the star-studded cast, Sorkin's take on this true story looks like it could well be one of the most gripping movies of the year.

As well as penning the script, The Trial of the Chicago 7 finds master screenwriter Aaron Sorkin taking the director's chair for only the second time in his career. Sorkin has become well-renowned for his writing skills, having injected his rapier-sharp wit and talent for dialogue into the likes of the Academy Award-winning The Social Network, the sports drama Moneyball, and the popular political television series The West Wing. His directorial debut, Molly's Game, released back in 2017, was met with much critical acclaim.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is based on the true story of the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants, who were charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, which arise from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.

With protests going on all over the United States, The Trial of the Chicago 7 already sounds plenty relevant, but Sorkin has gone even further, making slight changes to the script as real-life events contintuned to unfold. "The movie was relevant when we were making it," Sorkin said recently. "We didn't need it to get more relevant, but it did. The polarization, the militarization of the police, the fear of Black activists, even the intramural battle between the left and the far left. To say nothing about [Black Panther] Fred Hampton being murdered by the police during the trial. At this performance the role of Mayor Daley is being played by Donald Trump."

Sorkin has amassed a very impressive ensemble cast for the project, which includes the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan), Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman), Jeremy Strong (The Big Short), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Luce), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), William Hurt (A History of Violence), and Michael Keaton (Spotlight).

Netflix recently purchased The Trial of the Chicago 7, with the streaming giant reportedly paying a staggering $56 million for the movie. The initial plan was for the movie to be distributed by Paramount, with plans previously in place for the movie and to receive a theatrical release in a host of international markets. These plans were sadly squashed by the ongoing global circumstances, with a deal being finalized that will bring the movie straight to people at home. Along with the move to Netflix came word that The Trial of The Chicago 7 would be released in October, which suggests that the streaming giant has award ambition in mind.

The official synopsis for The Trial of the Chicago 7 reads as follows: "What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest-including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale-were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history."

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is due for release on Netflix on October 16, 2020. This comes to us courtesy of Netflixs's official YouTube channel.