Director Bing Liu’s narrative debut Preparation for the Next Life will open in select U.S. theaters on September 5, 2025, with a newly released trailer offering a first look at the drama’s intimate focus on immigration, trauma, and connection.

Based on the novel by Atticus Lish and adapted by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Martyna Majok, the film follows Aishe (Sebiye Behtiyar), a Uyghur woman working in the margins of New York City’s Chinatown. There, she meets Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a recently discharged U.S. soldier struggling to re-adjust after three tours in the Middle East.

The film centers on their evolving relationship—two people shaped by violence, displacement, and invisibility—who begin to imagine the possibility of a life different from the one they expected. Rather than offering a traditional romance, the story focuses on survival and the subtle forms of intimacy forged under pressure.

Produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, and Barry Jenkins, the film blends naturalistic storytelling with a strong sociopolitical undercurrent, reflecting Liu’s documentary roots (Minding the Gap).

Watch the trailer for Preparation for the Next Life below.