The Oscar season chatter may only just be kicking off, but trust me, you’ll be hearing that “O” word a lot when it comes to Denzel Washington’s Fences.

Directed by Washington, the film is adapted from August Wilson’s 1987 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play with a screenplay written by Wilson. Washington and Viola Davis revive their roles as Troy and Rose Maxon from the 2010 Broadway revival. The story follows Tony, a 53-year-old former Baseball player who now works as a garbage collector in 1950s Pittsburg and struggles to provide for his family.

The tense trailer opens with Troy’s son Cory (played by The Leftovers‘ Jovan Adepo) asking his father, “How come you ain’t never liked me?” Washington then breaks into a charged monologue about the difference between providing for and liking his son, a scene that I can only bet will play as his Oscar clip, should he get nominated.

It’s no surprise Fences has been on awards pundits radars for some time now. Both Washington and Davis won Tonys for Best Actor and Best Actress, and by the looks of this brief teaser, they’re bringing just as much intensity to their on-screen roles. These two are powerhouses, performers who can turn even the most measly material into heart-stopping, tear-welling goal. And just in case you didn’t realize it, somehow in this wacky universe of ours Davis still hasn’t won an Oscar. Let’s fix that. Fences opens in New York and Los Angeles on December 16, followed by a wide release on Christmas Day.

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