Wexner Center hosts exclusive Midwest screening of Lee Daniels' The Butler August 14

The Wexner Center for the Arts will host the Columbus premiere of Lee Daniels’ The Butler, the latest film from Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniels (Precious), on Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30 pm at AMC Easton, 275 Easton Town Center. The star-studded new film, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, will be introduced by Pulitzer Prize-nominated Washington Post journalist and Columbus native Wil Haygood, who wrote the 2008 Post article that inspired the film. Haygood will be joined at the screening by Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Wexner Center Director Sherri Geldin, and Wexner Center Foundation Trustees. Tickets are $200 and are on sale now. The ticket price also includes a private reception with Haygood. Proceeds from the screening will go to support the center’s upcoming Blues for Smoke exhibition.

Information about media availability from Haygood, Mayor Coleman, and Geldin will be sent closer to the event.

Notes Mayor Coleman, “Wil Haygood is just one example of the many talented individuals in the arts community who is proud to call Columbus home,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “This movie about the life of Cecil Gaines should serve as inspiration to all of us. And Wil Haygood’s ability to tell the story should serve as an incentive for all young writers in our community to pursue their dreams.”

Geldin says, “Everyone at the Wex is thrilled to present the Midwest premiere of this remarkable film whose all-star cast brings to vivid life one of the surpassing moral and political sagas of our time. That the very origin of the story rests with an article written for the Washington Post by Columbus native Wil Haygood makes it an even richer, more poignant occasion for this community, and we are honored to partner with the mayor in celebrating one of our most accomplished home-town talents.”

Lee Daniels’ The Butler tells the story of Cecil Gaines (Whitaker), a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades and traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time and how those changes affected this man’s life and family. The film’s all-star cast also features Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, James Marsden, and Liev Schreiber.