The official trailer for If I Go Will They Miss Me has arrived, giving us an expansive, visually poetic look at a coming-of-age story grounded in Black family dynamics, imagination, and intergenerational grace.

Written and directed by Walter Thompson-Hernández, the feature-length drama expands upon his 2022 Sundance Short Film Jury Award-winning short of the same name. Set beneath the flight path of LAX in the working-class Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles, the story centers on 12-year-old Lil Ant, a sensitive young artist who constructs a rich mythological inner world, imagining himself as Pegasus, to process his complex surroundings and family life.

The film features a stacked ensemble bringing the community and family dynamics of Watts to life.

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Bodhi Dell stars as Lil Ant, the young, imaginative protagonist at the center of the story. J. Alphonse Nicholson plays Big Ant, Lil Ant’s conflicted father, recently returned home from prison and struggling to reconnect with his family. Danielle Brooks plays Lozita, the commanding, devoted matriarch navigating her family’s fragile new dynamic. Myles Bullock plays JJ, a key figure within the family’s inner circle, and Bre-Z plays Jenn, bringing further depth to the film’s Watts community network. The broader supporting cast includes J.J. Boone, Zaria Kelley, Kelvin Adekunle, and Mark Lane III.

After making its world premiere in the NEXT section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, If I Go Will They Miss Me earned critical acclaim for blending social realism with magical flourishes.

Set to a soundtrack featuring a soulful cover of This Bitter Earth by Jon Batiste, who also serves as an executive producer, the film captures both the playfulness and angst of childhood. “If I Go Will They Miss Me was such a labor of love from start to finish,” Thompson-Hernández shared. “I’ll never forget watching it on the big screen when we premiered at Sundance, and I can’t wait for audiences nationwide to also experience the film in theaters.”

Distributed by Rich Spirit, the film kicks off its theatrical rollout in Los Angeles on September 10, followed by a nationwide release on September 18.