Kerry Washington is a formidable commander as she leads the titular, historic World War II battalion in Netflix‘s new trailer (above) for the forthcoming The Six Triple Eight, written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry.
The drama, available in select theaters starting Dec. 6 and due on the streamer Dec. 20, is inspired by the real-life story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the sole all-Black, all-female Women’s Army Corps unit, the members of which were tasked with sorting the massive backlog of undelivered mail for U.S. service members in England and France.
“Ladies, we have been ordered to provide hope,” Washington’s commanding officer Major Charity Adams decrees to her troops in the clip. “The soldiers have not heard from their loved ones and their loved ones have not heard from them. When there is no mail, there is low morale.”
Per the film’s logline, “Despite facing racism and sexism — and grueling working conditions — [the 6888 members] were committed to serving their country with honor and distinction. Given an extraordinary mission and united in their determination, these unsung heroes delivered hope and shattered barriers.”
“They did not send us because they thought we could do it; we are here because they are sure we cannot,” Washington delivers in a rousing speech. “We are no strangers to making a shack a home. We are at war, and when you are at war, you make do.”
In addition to stars Washington, Ebony Obsidian and Dean Norris, the film includes Sam Waterston (President Franklin D. Roosevelt), Susan Sarandon (Eleanor Roosevelt) and Oprah Winfrey (Mary McLeod Bethune). The ensemble is rounded out by Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Moriah Brown and Jeanté Godlock. Producers are Perry, Nicole Avant, Angi Bones, Tony L. Strickland, Keri Selig and Carlota Espinosa.
The Six Triple Eight draws inspiration from the article “Fighting A Two-Front War” by Kevin M. Hymel published in WWII History Magazine by Sovereign Media. The film will include original song “The Journey,” written by Diane Warren and performed by H.E.R., with choreography by Debbie Allen.
Perry, Washington and Obsidian were at Arlington National Cemetery Nov. 20 as part of a United Service Organization visit to pay respect to the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, several members of which are interred or inurned there.
The real 6888 were deployed overseas in February 1945, making them part of the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed in Europe during WWII. The battalion was mostly Black women but there were also women of Caribbean and Mexican descent, all 855 of whom were tasked with breaking a backlog of 17 million pieces of mail.
Major Charity Adams led the women in working three, 8-hour shifts to meet the challenge, accomplishing the mission in less than 90 days. They were originally given 6 months to complete the work, which included routing packages and letters — some with incomplete or inaccurate addresses — in buildings lacking proper lighting and heat due to discriminatory segregation standards. As such, the women of the 6888 created their own food hall, hair salon and refreshment station.
In 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to award the women of the 6888 the Congressional Gold Medal. As of this year, there are only two remaining members of the battalion: Fannie McClendon and Anna Mae Robertson. Perry paid tribute to member Lena Derriecott King (played by Obsidian in the film), who he said inspired the movie’s creation, following her Jan. 18 death this year just shy of her 101st birthday.
View the key art below: