'Life of a King': Cuba Gooding Jr. teaches chess to troubled DC teens

Chess is an easy metaphor for life. It may just be a game, but in Life of a King it actually saves some, too.

After almost two decades in prison, ex-con Eugene Brown (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is struggling to find a lifeline outside of the walls. When he finally gets a janitorial job in an inner-city Washington, D.C. high school, he starts the Big Chair Chess Club and encourages the troubled teens to find solace and purpose through learning the game. Based on a true story — and a still-active chess club — Life of a King had its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival and is set to hit theaters on Jan. 17, 2014.

Check out the first trailer after the jump.