‘White Boy Rick’ First Trailer: Matthew McConaughey and Yann Demange Tell a Wild True Crime Story

Yann Demange only has one feature film under his belt, the 2014 historical thriller “’71,” but that directorial debut is such a grounded, intense firecracker that anyone who saw it knows the French director is extremely talented when it comes to crafting gripping psychological action. Fortunately for Demange, his latest based-on-a-true-story drama, “White Boy Rick,” should be chock full of these moments.

“White Boy Rick” stars newcomer Richie Merritt as Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant in history at the age of 14 years old. The film follows Wershe Jr.’s years with the FBI and the events that led to his life sentence in prison after being arrested for drug-trafficking. Matthew McConaughey plays Wershe Jr.’s father, a blue-collar factory worker from Detroit struggling to provide for his family. Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as one of the FBI agents who recruits the teenager.

In addition to “’71” and “White Boy Rick,” Demange has been confirmed to direct the pilot of J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele’s upcoming HBO drama series “Lovecraft Country.” The movie is one of two releases for McConaughey this fall, the other being Steven Knight’s noir thriller “Serenity.”

Columbia Pictures will release “White Boy Rick” in theaters September 14. Watch the trailer below.