New ‘The Six Triple Eight’ trailer: Tyler Perry’s World War II drama set for December release on Netflix

Tyler Perry’s new film “The Six Triple Eight” is coming to Netflix this holiday season.

On Friday, the streaming service debuted the new trailer for Perry’s World War II drama starring Kerry Washington. The film will arrive in select theaters on December 6 before it hits Netflix on December 20.

Inspired by “the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in WWII,” Perry adapted “The Six Triple Eight” from the article “Fighting A Two-Front War” by Kevin M. Hymel published in “WWII History Magazine” by Sovereign Media.

Says Netflix of the project, “Despite facing racism and sexism – and grueling working conditions – the unit was committed to serving their country with honor and distinction. Given an extraordinary mission and united in their determination, these unsung heroes delivered hope and shattered barriers.”

Washington stars as Major Charity Adams, the commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The ensemble cast includes Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Moriah Brown, Jeanté Godlock, Susan Sarandon, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, and Oprah Winfrey. 

Legendary songwriter and 15-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren wrote an original song for the movie. The track, called “The Journey,” is performed by H.E.R., with choreography by Debbie Allen. Warren won an honorary Oscar in 2023 and has received nine nominations for Best Original Song since 2014. She’s already a top contender for another nomination for “The Six Triple Eight.”

In addition to the new trailer, Netflix passed along some contextual historical information about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which was deployed to England in February 1945 and later moved to France – thus making the group the only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed inside Europe during World War II.

“The 855 women were tasked with breaking a backlog of 17 million mail pieces. That bottleneck meant that soldiers on the front lines as well as families back home were not hearing from their loved ones,” said Netflix. “Led by Major Charity Adams, the women — working in three, 8-hour shifts — met the challenge of sorting and routing the letters and packages, some with incomplete or incorrect addresses, in buildings lacking sufficient lighting and heat. They were given 6 months for the task yet accomplished their mission in less than 90 days.

“Given segregated facilities that were not up to the same standards as those enjoyed by the white and Black male soldiers, the women of the 6888 used their ingenuity to create their own food hall, hair salon, and refreshment bar.”

Two years ago, the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to award the women of the 6888th the Congressional Gold Medal. The following year, as the American military made an effort to rename military bases with ties to the Confederacy, the U.S. Army renamed the Fort Lee facility Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of two Black Army pioneers: Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg and Adams. Says Netflix, “The fort’s re-designation honoring Adams makes her the only Black woman in U.S. history to receive such an honor. Fort Gregg-Adams is located in Prince George County, Virginia.”