The latest trailer for Music, the "cinematic experience" starring Kate Hudson and Maddie Ziegler, was released on Friday, less than a month before the project is set to be released.
The clip offers new insight into Hudson's character, Zu, a recently sober drug dealer who becomes guardian of her half-sister Music, a young girl on the autism spectrum, following the death of her grandmother.
"I'm gonna help her. Just like she helps me," Hudson's character says in the trailer. "I'm actually learning how to love because I love her."
The movie also stars Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Zu's neighbor and friend who helps her with Music, as well as Ben Schwartz, Tig Notaro and Kathy Najimi.
Some autism advocacy groups will ask Hollywood stars to boycott award shows that honor an upcoming movie by Sia, sources tell Page Six.
The singer — who is making her directorial debut with a movie called “Music,” out next month — has already courted criticism because she didn’t cast an autistic actor in the lead. The film instead stars Maddie Ziegler, Sia’s muse from her music videos, as an autistic character.
Sia has defended the move, but also got into some social media spats with her detractors in the process.
A source told Page Six that now, “autism advocacy groups such as the National Autism Association, are planning to call for members of the [entertainment] industry to boycott awards shows” that might honor Sia’s film, such as the Golden Globes and Oscars.
“The plan is to call for other nominees to decline participation in the awards,” the source said.
Reps for Sia and the National Autism Association did not get back to us.
The Oscars this year has expanded its deadlines so that films released up until Feb. 28 can be considered.
The singer-turned-director has said of the objections via social media, “F–king sad nobody’s even seen the dang movie. My heart has always been in the right place.” She also has said of her Twitter confrontations regarding the film in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, “Looking back, I should have just shut up; I know that now.”
Sia was seen beaming beside her cast as she got in the director's chair for her film Music, which stars Kate Hudson, Maddie Ziegler and Leslie Odom Jr.
The singer, 45, looked delighted as she wrapped her arms around the dancer, 18, during a break from filming in exclusive snaps shared with MailOnline.
In the movie, which is set for release on February 15, Kate plays a drug-addicted free-spirit named Kazoo who becomes sole guardian of her autistic half sister named Music, played by Maddie.
Portraying her character Music, Maddie was seen with a hart painted onto her face to match her outfit, while she also sported oversized ear mufflers.
In another photo, Kate wore a stern expression in the role of Kazoo, and she showed off her slender figure in a blue sports bra and matching trousers.
Leslie, who plays Ebo in the film, was also seen behind-the-scenes, and the Hamilton star smiled as he and Sia posed for a photo together.
Kate Hudson showed off her vocal chops in a new music video promoting Sia's controversial new movie Music.
The 41-year-old actress appears with her head nearly shaven and belts out the title number into a microphone on a small stage.
As she sings her co-star Maddie Ziegler of Dance Moms fame can be seen twirling around the room with Beto Calvillo.
In a surreal touch all the characters are wearing floral clothes that exactly match the walls and floors - and even the table where Maddie starts off the video.
By the end Mary Kay and Beto climb aboard a rickshaw and are driven by actor Steve Brown into a brightly lit exit that has materialized in one of the walls.
Maddie in character as Music waves at them as they disappear and then walks back up to the stage to share a hug with Kate.
Singer/songwriter Sia said she’s “part of the problem” for casting white women in her movie, which she says came at the behest of executives.
Speaking on a panel at the Sundance Film Festival, Sia said that when she originally cast “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr. in one role for her movie “Music,” executives warned her that if she cast a black female opposite Odom Jr., the movie would then be considered a “black movie.”
“I thought it was gross,” Sia said, as reported by UPI.
Sia recalled being warned that the movie would be “put in a different category.”
“It won’t be commercial, it won’t be mainstream,” executives allegedly told her.