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Viola Davis‘ first major starring role since her Academy Award nominated role in The Help will be in a drama called Won’t Back Down, featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight). The film tells the tale of two unsatisfied parents who join together to revamp an inner-city public school. According to IndieWire.com, FOX studios has so much faith that the film can qualify for major awards they’ve pushed the original premiere date from March 30 to the more Oscar-friendly Sept. 28:

The film was initially scheduled to be released on March 30th, 2012, but the studio distributing it (Fox) pushed that date all the way back to September 28th. They likely feel they might have an awards-contender on their hands.

The drama, produced by Walden Media & 20th Century Fox, is centered on two frustrated mothers (played by Viola and Maggie Gyllenhaal) who team up to transform an inner-city public school.

Specifically, Viola plays a teacher who risks plenty to join the cause; while Gyllenhaal plays a single mother who sells cars, tends bar and rouses parents to take charge of their grade school.

Rosie Perez as well as Fringe and The Wire star Lance Reddick co-star in the film playing the tough head of the school board (Perez), and Viola Davis’ husband who also happens to be a teacher (Reddick).

You’ll see several familiar faces in this including: Ving Rhames, Bill Nunn, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

SOURCE: The Grio / Indie Wire

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