Chadwick Boseman Will Be Submitted as Leading Actor for MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM

Chadwick Boseman will be submitted to awards shows posthumously as a leading actor for his role in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," the upcoming film adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

The film takes place in 1927 Chicago, where tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious trumpeter Levee, and the white management determined to control her music, according to Variety.

Academy Award winner Viola Davis ("Fences") plays the "Mother of the Blues" and will also campaign for best actress.

This is especially significant because the actors who originated the roles on Broadway in 1984, Theresa Merritt and Charles S. Dutton, were both submitted in their featured actor categories.

Boseman died from colon cancer in August. He is best known for his role as T'Challa in "Black Panther," and for playing James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and more in biopics.

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" will be released on Netflix on Dec. 18.

Watch the trailer here: