It usually takes more than a week for a full-on trailer to follow up a film's teaser vid, but since yesterday was the 95th birthday of the unconquerable Nelson Mandela himself, The Weinstein Company decided to make an exception. And what a celebration it was.

In the biopic, Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela, the South African revolutionary who stood up against an oppressive, divisive government and spent 27 years in prison before being released and later chosen as the nation's first democratically-elected president.

Whereas the teaser for "Mandela" was decidedly optimistic and sort of all's-well-that-ends-well-ish with him romping around a meadow with happy children, this trailer for the Justin Chadwick-directed pic is much grittier and more consequential in nature.

Based on Mandela's own written autobiography of the same name, the film chronicles the Nobel Peace Prize winner's journey from a young village boy onto becoming one of the world's most revered leaders. As the trailer indicates, the story is a captivating one indeed, and this group intends to do the birthday boy justice.

William Nicholson of "Gladiator" and "Shadowlands" esteem adapted the story for the screen, and Elba is joined on the cast by Naomie Harris (who portrays Mandela's former wife Winnie), Robert Hobbs, Theo Landey, Grant Swanby, Mark Elderkin, Carl Beukes and Tony Kgoroge.

"Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" will hit theaters (and probably reduce us all to tears) on Nov. 29, so go ahead and pencil this one into your awards season watch list ... if you haven't already done so, that is.