Colman Domingo in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
For his first feature in six years, director Gus Van Sant has picked a familiar pattern –– a true-life tale. And ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ certainly boasts a compelling hook. A kidnapping case that was locally infamous in Indiana that briefly attracted national attention in the late 1970s.
But with some odd tonal choices, the movie doesn’t always do justice to what is a fascinating tale of desperation and candor.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Al Pacino and director Gus Van Sant attend Row K’s ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Los Angeles Premiere at The Grove AMC on January 7, 2026 in Los Angeles.
The script from Austin Kolodney (a filmmaker behind various shorts and who has worked in a number of roles on different movies) takes a mostly real-time approach to the story of Tony Kiritsis and his grudge against a local mortgage company.
It’s a solid foundation for an entertaining movie, and one that director Gus Van Sant knows how to make well. Yet the issue is with some of the stylistic tricks and the occasional shifts in tone that don’t always work with the plot itself and undercut the power.
Cast and Performances
Cary Elwes in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
The cast is the definite highlight of the movie, with Skarsgård, for once not buried beneath a mountain of prosthetics, giving a memorable, charismatic performance as the desperate, but perhaps misguided central figure.
Dacre Montgomery also has a chance to shine as the victim of the kidnapping, a man whose rich family is only to willing to throw him under the bus when it comes to negotiating with his captor.
Outside of the main pair, Cary Elwes is excellent as a detective, Al Pacino steals a couple of scenes as Montgomery’s character’s father, and Myha’la gets some good moments as a reporter who is first to report on the developing situation.
Final Thoughts
Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment.
Despite its occasional overreliance on stylistic tics, ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ is a compelling treatment of a real-life case, one that has resonances even today.
‘Dead Man’s Wire’ receives 70 out of 100.
(L to R): Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgard in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’?
The film is inspired by the 1977 Indianapolis hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) and centers on the escalation of a public confrontation shaped by negotiation, media attention, and law enforcement response.
(L to R) Kelly Lynch, director Gus Van Sant, Al Pacino and Colman Domingo attend Row K’s ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Los Angeles Premiere at The Grove AMC on January 7, 2026 in Los Angeles.
Set in 1977 and based on a true story, ‘Dead Man’s Wire‘ follows Tony Kiritsis, a former real estate developer who puts a dead man’s switch on himself and the mortgage banker who did him wrong, while demanding $5 million and a personal apology.
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Moviefone was in attendance at a recent press conference, in which director Gus Van Sant and writer Austin Kolodney shared behind-the-scenes details and discuss adapting a true story for the screen.
1) Gus Van Sant Was Interested In ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Because It Was Going To Be Filmed Almost Immediately
(L to R) Dacre Montgomery as Richard ‘Dick’ Hall and Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment
When asked about what drew him to the project, Gus Van Sant shockingly explains that it mostly had to do with the shooting timeline.
Gus Van Sant: I joined on with the knowledge that it was shooting in Louisville, Kentucky. And it was shooting very quickly. This was September of last year, and Cassian Elwes, the producer, was planning to shoot in November. I was intrigued by the whole situation of having to do something right away and not even knowing what it was about. Kind of… I didn’t really say yes. I did read the script before I said yes.
2) Austin Kolodney First Heard About Tony Karitsis On A Podcast
Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment.
Writer Austin Kolodney first heard about this true story on a podcast and wondered to himself why it wasn’t a movie. So he wrote a script.
Austin Kolodney: I first heard it mentioned on a podcast. A producer, Jamie Vernon, had mentioned the name and the crime, and I had my antenna up. This is the height of COVID in 2020, during that summer. And I was actively looking for something to write. I had written a couple other features, like smaller indie things that I would want to direct, but I was like, I need to try and get something made soon to pay off credit card debt, get the career started, I can’t just keep Lyft driving. So, I was actively looking for something that I think would be a movie, and when I heard about Tony, went down this rabbit hole, some podcasts, there’s a great dollop episode about him, and then there’s this one YouTube video that I used as a hyperlink, because it had this 5-minute summation of this really grainy texture, archival footage shot, highlight reel ofTony slipping on the ice, and cracking jokes at the cops, and laughing at them, and getting them to laugh with him, and then asking for water, and having to hold the gun and drink it like a baby bird, and for some reason that crystallized the movie for me. I’m like, how has this not been made into a movie? So I started developing it as a movie.
3) Austin Kolodney Included Hyperlinks To Videos In His Initial Script
(L to R) Dacre Montgomery as Richard ‘Dick’ Hall and Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment
Gus Van Sant says that Austin Kolodney’s inclusion of hyperlinks in the script helped him to understand who Tony Karitsis really was.
Gus Van Sant: You could see very clearly the guy, Tony Karitsis’ personality, partly due to the hyperlinks that were connected in the script to his actual voice. You could hear the real guy, who was very intriguing, and so within just a few moments, I don’t know that I wasn’t conscious of I guess it was obvious that he was a desperate underdog character that resembled other characters that I’d done before.
4) Austin Kolodney Is Drawn To True Crime, But He Doesn’t Want To Be Pigeonholed In That Genre
Cary Elwes as Michael Grable in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment
When asked about what it was that truly interested him about this story, Austin Kolodney admits that he loves true crime, but that he also has the ability to write other genres.
Austin Kolodney: I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t like a good crime movie. A lot of great American films are crime movies, and I don’t know if true crime is necessarily how I want to corner myself as a storyteller. I’ve had a couple other scripts written prior to this one that aren’t at all in this realm. I continue to see, I guess, any article or book or footage of a true event that has a character that is very rich and very textured and feels like someone that I would want to see on the screen for an hour and a half, two hours. That’s what draws me to it. It’s more the person, the criminal, I guess, not necessarily the act of crime, it’s the personality and the three-dimensionality of the person that’s at the center of it, is what draws me to a story.
5) Bill Skarsgård Almost Wasn’t The Lead Of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’
(L to R) Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgard in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
Director Gus Van Sant admits that he thought Bill Skarsgård was great for the lead role of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’, but details how he almost didn’t take the role.
Gus Van Sant: I had tried to get Bill in another film that was simultaneous. It was canceled right about the same time that I was joining onto ‘Dead Man’s Wire’, and I had asked him to play a smaller part, and he said it would be interesting if he wasn’t playing a lead somewhere else. So I was thinking of him for a while, just working with him, and putting him into things where he wasn’t even the lead character. I hadn’t worked with him. In this case, he seemed to work for the lead character. So I turned around and said, oh, there’s a lead character on this one. He was busy. So he was fitting it in between projects. But yeah, he seemed to be game. I mean, partly, maybe because I worked with his dad, Stellan (Skarsgård) in ‘Good Will Hunting‘. He had actually come to the set, but he was like 7 years old. There’s a picture I have of him and the big family that was visiting Stellan.
Al Pacino as M/L/ Hall in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment
What is the plot of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’?
The film is inspired by the 1977 Indianapolis hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) and centers on the escalation of a public confrontation shaped by negotiation, media attention, and law enforcement response.
(L to R) Al Pacino and director Gus Van Sant attend Row K’s ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Los Angeles Premiere at The Grove AMC on January 7, 2026 in Los Angeles.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with iconic filmmaker Gus Van Sant about his work on ‘Dead Man’s Wire’, his first reaction to the unusual screenplay, creating the specific look of the film, casting Bill Skarsgård, directing the legendary Al Pacino, and the importance of the music in the movie.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Van Sant, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes and Myha’la.
Moviefone: To begin with, I understand that the script came with links to actual news footage from the true story that the movie is based on. Can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and how the real footage helped you envision how you wanted to make this film?
Gus Van Sant: Yeah, there were actual links to footage, which had been posted to YouTube. You could hear the real Tony Kiritsis talking to the police for the first time when he was in the middle of kidnapping his mortgage broker in 1977. Then there was also the footage of them walking across town with the dead man’s wire rig attached to his captive and the police following them, and the drive to his house in the police car that he commandeers. All these things were peppered throughout the script so you could get a very strong sense of the event, the demands, and the final Press conference that they have was also in the hyperlinks. I mean, it helped just envision what you thought of the actual event. You know, it was complete, true footage of the actual event. So, from there, you had a lot of information. It helped me visually because it was set in the ‘70s and all the little parts of the visuals were in some of the footage that was part of the script. You could see the real people, the real police, the real Indianapolis locations, the real cars that they were driving and the real apartment exterior, not the interior of the apartment. But that was the atmosphere you could see. It just affected everything about bringing it to life for us in Louisville, Kentucky, which wasn’t Indianapolis (where the true story took place).
(L to R) Dacre Montgomery as Richard ‘Dick’ Hall and Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment.
MF: The film itself looks like a movie that would have been released in the 1970s, at the time that the story takes place. Can you talk about how you achieved that specific look?
GVS: It was all the different departments working together. Our production designer, our costumer and whoever else was involved in the look, the DP, his crew, the lighting personnel, they were all queuing off photographs of the period. In my case, I was I was glued to photography by William Eggleston, who shot photographs in Memphis, Tennessee, which is nearby. I mean, part of that Midwest feel and the colors within that, and our DP, was interested in the movie ‘Klute’. Visually, he thought it had a lot to do with what we wanted to be doing. The original photography that was in the documentaries had a greenish color to it, which was interesting, that we liked. We were trying to keep away from maybe things we’d seen that resemble the ‘70s, which are browns that I felt weren’t really representing the ‘70s well, because there was a lot of color back there. I mean, it just all came together, everyone together in unison, not really knowing, because you’re always striving to have this fantastic result and hopefully you get there, but we’re always working in the dark, sort of.
Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis in ‘Dead Man’s Wire’. Photo: Row K Entertainment.
MF: Can you talk about casting Bill Skarsgård and what he brought to the role of Tony Kiritsis?
GVS: Bill was, to me, sort of a man of a thousand faces. He had done roles that sometimes were very similar, like “The Crow’ or he was in ‘Boy Kills World’, which was possibly a similar character, yet quite different. He made them quite different. His performance in ‘It’ was a big one. He showed me some things that he had done in Europe that weren’t as extreme characters and more like him being almost himself, that I got to see, which I hadn’t seen. He seemed like the guy for a job like this. Like, almost in, I want to say, a Peter Sellers way. He could transform himself.
Al Pacino in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
MF: What was your experience like directing the legendary Al Pacino? Had you ever met him before working with him on this project?
GVS: I hadn’t met him. I had seen him at a party, but I hadn’t ever met him and spoke to him before. He had done a film with Harmony Korine, where Harmony was playing a character in a smaller project that Al was the lead in and he was working in a junk shop, I think. Our first meeting was really on the phone talking about the whole story and the part his character played in it, and he had a desire to make it a little bigger, which we attempted to do. Austin (Kolodney) wrote some extra stuff. We did do rehearsals with Al and Dacre and Bill together for the phone calls. It was all quite exciting because when Bill’s in character he’s quite crazy and wild. So, it affected Al. He realized, “Oh, we’re in the real thing now.” Which he’s of course used to, but these guys could deliver it. So, working with him was great. I mean, it was fast. We had one day to shoot all his scenes, but it was a lot of fun.
Colman Domingo in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
MF: Finally, music plays an important role in this movie, as it does in all your films. Can you talk about your musical choices, and mixing specific songs from the period with contemporary music?
GVS: The DJ concept was very interesting because I felt like I had listened to the radio in the ‘60s, not ‘70s, but it was a very important New York area experience, where the counterculture of the ‘60s was present in the DJs. So, they were on your side, and they were playing, now it’s classic rock, but at the time it was like extended rock and roll. So, you’d have songs that were like 10 minutes long with guitar solos and so forth. Because Colman Domingo was able to play the part, there was a DJ that I really liked on WNEW in New York named Rosko (William Roscoe Mercer). You can find his shows on YouTube today. So, I sent some of those shows to Colman and he was playing songs that were backgrounds to poetry that he would read over the songs. The poetry was mostly about the Vietnam War and about gladiators and the trials of that period. They were very emotional, very dramatic and very political. So, we used Colman’s character to have that vibe and have that idea, as opposed to the reality of the real DJ, who was more of a newscaster. So, we kind of took liberty with that character to give him color, and to give the DJ more of a voice in the whole thing, because he does end up brokering the whole story.
(L to R) Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgard in ‘Dead Man’s Wire.’ Photo: Row K Entertainment.
What is the plot of ‘Dead Man’s Wire’?
The film is inspired by the 1977 Indianapolis hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) and centers on the escalation of a public confrontation shaped by negotiation, media attention, and law enforcement response.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kiefer Sutherland about his work on ‘Tinsel Town’, his first reaction to the screenplay, making his first Christmas movie, his character and his relationship to his daughter, the UK’s holiday tradition of pantomime, and working with the cast and director Chris Foggin, as well as an update on the future of ‘24’ and what it was like acting opposite Al Pacino in the upcoming ‘Father Joe’.
Kiefer Sutherland stars in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
(L to R) Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson star in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and is this the first Christmas movie you’ve ever made?
Kiefer Sutherland: It is the first Christmas movie that I’ve ever been in, and I was really moved by the script. Obviously, this is not something that I normally do, a comedy that is as broad as this. I thought it was incredibly funny. I think the British make these kinds of movies, kind of a warmhearted stories, they do them well. Chris Foggin is a fantastic director, but I loved the script. I found it very funny, and I just thought it was a nice story about someone who had lost their way as a human being, and the worst their life got, the better human being they became. I think that’s a kind of a wonderful fable. I found that the stuff between him and his daughter to be really moving as well. So, it had a lot of elements, whether it was the comedy and a touching drama at the same time, and it kind of came together. Piers Ashwood, who wrote the screenplay, I think just did a masterful job. So, I thought it was very funny right away and I was excited to be a part of it.
MF: Your character, Bradley Mack, is a difficult Hollywood actor. Did you draw influence from any difficult actors that you have worked with along the way?
KS: Well, I think first off, I had to take a very serious look at myself, right? I think over 43 years, I think there’s probably been moments where I have maybe been difficult. Certainly, in my younger years, I know that when you’re trying to find your way, you can make some mistakes and things like that. So, I drew upon those memories. Then, yes, I’ve seen some other actors be kind of demanding and maybe more demanding than their talent deserved, and Bradley Mack is kind of a perfect composite of that. What I really liked again about the screenplay is that he’s not a bad person. He’s just gone down a bad path, and that we all can find our way back. That’s really what the film is about. It’s just told in a very funny way.
Kiefer Sutherland stars in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
MF: Bradley Mack is specifically an action star; did you feel like that gave you a chance to spoof your iconic ‘24’ persona in a way?
KS: I think a little bit, yeah, and it was fun. You know, I think it was fun. It’s very funny that people that kind of do an action movie here and there can sometimes start to think that they’re very skilled, either as a fighter or with weapons and things like that. The truth is you’re not. You’re taught just enough to fake it. So, I’ve always found that very funny. So, to be able to play that in a character for a film was a lot of fun.
MF: Can you talk about Bradley’s estranged relationship with his daughter and this experience makes him a better father?
KS: Well, again, he was confronted with a reality that he was, in fact, a bad father. Then, he is just forced to spend some time with his daughter because of these certain circumstances and he falls in love with her. My daughter was played by Matilda Firth, who is an extraordinary, gifted young actor. In the context of our movie, she was the adult in the relationship. That was a lot of fun and she guided her father back to being a better human being. I find that a very touching aspect of the film.
Kiefer Sutherland stars in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
MF: How familiar were you with the UK’s holiday tradition of pantomime, called Panto? Did you do any research into the tradition?
KS: I did, absolutely. I certainly was not as familiar before the film I am now. I had never really seen a live pantomime, I’ve seen film versions here and there of a pantomime, but I’ve never been to one. So, when we got to Leeds, England, I was very excited because they had a pantomime on for that season, and unfortunately, it had closed two days before, so I wasn’t able to see it. But obviously, I got a great deal of help from everybody there, and it is a significant tradition in the UK and people take it very seriously. We talk about it in the context of the film, but it financially supports a lot of those theaters through the rest of the year. So, I think it’s very cool and it was fun to make a movie about it.
MF: Can you talk about working with Rebel Wilson, Alice Eve and legendary actor Sir Derek Jacobi, as well as the rest of the cast?
KS: Alice was fantastic. I only worked for her for a few days, but her timing is extraordinary, and she’s so incredibly funny as my divorced wife and James (Lance) did a great job as well, who played her new husband. Derek Jacobi is one of the great actors of all time, Sir Derek Jacobi, and to be able to have an opportunity to work with him was fantastic. Maria Friedman, Meera Syal, Danny Dyer, just all those fantastic actors, all just had such beautiful timing, and all kind of added personal moments to the movie. So, it was an absolute thrill to work with everybody.
(L to R) Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
MF: What was it like collaborating with director Chris Foggin on this film and what are you looking for from a director on set?
KS: For me, I’m looking for someone to be in charge. You know, the director is the one person who’s going to travel from the pre-production stage of a movie to the production stage and filming of the movie, the post-production stage where they’re editing and finalizing the music and all the special effects. So that’s the person that has the vision that’s going to carry its way through the entire film. I’m looking for someone to lead that, and that’s what the director is supposed to do. You know, having done this for quite some time, if you’re not working towards a shared vision, you’re going to end up on the cutting room floor. So, Chris is someone that I asked for guidance from, and at the end of the day, especially if you’re doing a comedy, you finish a scene and look over and if he’s laughing, we did something right, and if he’s not, we better figure this out. So, he was a fantastic director and I think just did a beautiful job with the film.
MF: Earlier this year, you talked about speaking to the ‘24’ creators about some ideas to bring back the show in some way and that there were steps being taken to move forward. Are there any updates that you can give us on that?
KS: You’d have to ask Howard Gordon how he was approached, but he did come up with what I thought was a really good idea. So, he wrote a piece, and I really enjoyed it. That’s kind of where we’re at and we’ll see if it gets made. But, you know, at this stage, I thought it was a really good idea, and that’s where we’re kind of at.
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in ’24’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
MF: Is Jack Bauer still locked up in a Russian prison?
KS: Yeah. So, he’s been there for a while, and he’s not happy about it.
MF: Finally, I know that you are shooting the upcoming movie ‘Father Joe’ right now. What has it been like working with the legendary Al Pacino on that project?
KS: Working with Al Pacino, you know, they always say, be careful about meeting your idols because they might let you down. That’s the opposite experience that I had with Al Pacino. Al Pacino was everything I’d hoped he’d be. He’s an extraordinarily powerful actor, but he’s a kind human being. So, I just really enjoyed it. I hope when I’m his age that I’m still working as well.
‘Tinsel Town’ opens in theaters and on VOD on November 21st.
What is the plot of ‘Tinsel Town’?
A washed-up Hollywood action hero (Kiefer Sutherland) is tricked into starring in a small English town’s chaotic Christmas pantomime, where a straight-talking dance instructor and his estranged daughter just might help him rediscover the magic of the season.
Who is in the cast of ‘Tinsel Town’?
Kiefer Sutherland as Bradley Mack
Rebel Wilson as Jill
Matilda Firth as Emma
Alice Eve
Derek Jacobi
(L to R) Matilda Firth and Kiefer Sutherland star in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
Assuming he does end up signing on –– and a reunion with Mann is certainly an intriguing concept –– Bale would likely end up co-starring with Leonardo DiCaprio, though no deals are complete yet.
Still, it certainly appears Mann is aiming to build a leading ensemble to match the star power and awards haul of the original, famously led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
Robert De Niro on the set of ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mann’s original film follows Neil McCauley (De Niro), who leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around Los Angeles. But after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino) finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case, determined to stop McCauley’s crew.
Hanna and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each other’s troubled personal lives and they understand their competing motivations –– yet they won’t hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle.
How does ‘Heat 2’ tie in?
(L to R) Director Michael Mann, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro on the set of ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
‘Heat 2’ (written by Mann alongside Meg Gardiner) in book form tells the story of everything that happens before and after to the principal characters. The book jumps between two time periods, the first following Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer in the original film) as he tries to evade the LAPD and Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.–Mexico border, and in Chicago. At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.
DiCaprio is reportedly interested in the role of Shiherlis, and the likes of Austin Butler and Bradley Cooper have also had meetings about potential parts. Driver is still apparently part of the mix too –– essentially anyone with a profile is circling this one. We don’t yet know who Bale might play.
When will ‘Heat 2’ be on screens?
Amazon MGM has yet to confirm a release date for the movie, but Mann is aiming to have cameras rolling next year.
Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
(Left) Kiefer Sutherland stars on Paramount+’s ‘Rabbit Hole.’ (Right) Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Preview:
Kiefer Sutherland, Al Pacino and Ever Anderson will star in ‘Father Joe’.
Barthélémy Grossmann is aboard to direct.
Luc Besson will produce the action thriller.
As a veteran of the action thriller genre (not to mention other types of movies), Luc Besson is also someone who supports other filmmakers.
But despite his experience behind the camera, Besson is handing over shot-calling duties to Barthélémy Grossmann, who in addition to his own directing work has also served as second-unit director for several Besson movies.
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in ’24’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
The new movie stars Sutherland (who also joins the project as producer) as the title character, a man of faith who wages a violent war against the city’s criminal underworld.
Pacino plays a powerful mob boss whose empire collides with Father Joe’s crusade. Anderson plays a young woman caught between danger and redemption under Joe’s guidance.
Here’s what Sutherland had to say about joining the movie:
“I have been a fan of Luc Besson going back to ‘Subway’. As a director and a writer, he has a unique capacity to weave drama and action together without sacrificing either. I’m so excited about this opportunity to work with him as the writer of ‘Father Joe’ and director Barthélémy Grossmann. I can’t wait to get started.”
Where else can we see Kiefer Sutherland, Al Pacino and Ever Anderson?
(L to R) Director Michael Mann, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro on the set of 1995’s ‘Heat’. Photo: Warner Bros.
(Left) Leonardo DiCaprio at the Los Angeles World Premiere of ‘One Battle After Another’. Photo Credit: Jay Clendenin. Copyright: Shutterstock. (Right) Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
Preview:
Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ has Leonardo DiCaprio circling a role.
Bradley Cooper and more are also said to have met for the movie.
The film itself is on the move from Warner Bros. to Amazon after budget disagreements.
And that’s not the only development –– the movie itself has shifted from Warner Bros. (where the studio and director couldn’t come to terms on the budget) to Amazon MGM Studios, which will produce via its United Artists label after winning the chance over the likes of Sony and Paramount.
(L to R) Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in 1995’s ‘Heat.’
Mann’s original film follows Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who leads a group of professional bank robbers, taking down major scores around Los Angeles. But after their latest heist goes terribly wrong and ends up in homicide, detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) finds a clue and becomes obsessed with the case, determined to stop McCauley’s crew.
Hanna and McCauley are competing against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Although they are on different sides of the law, they still find huge respect, recognition in each other’s troubled personal lives and they understand their competing motivations –– yet they won’t hesitate to do whatever they can to win the battle.
How does ‘Heat 2’ tie in?
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in 1995’s ‘Heat.’
‘Heat 2’ (written by Mann alongside Meg Gardiner) in book form tells the story of everything that happens before and after to the principal characters. The book jumps between two time periods, the first following Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer in the original film) as he tries to evade the LAPD and Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.–Mexico border, and in Chicago. At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.
DiCaprio is reportedly interested in the role of Shiherlis, and the likes of Austin Butler and Bradley Cooper have also had meetings about potential parts. Driver is still apparently part of the mix too –– essentially anyone with a profile is circling this one. But zero deals are in place yet.
Still, at least it seems Mann can finally get the burner lit and get ‘Heat 2’ cooking.
Director Michael Mann at the premiere of ‘Ferrari.’ Photo: Neon.
If you enjoy hearing talented types talk up their work, attendees will be able to see the likes of Al Pacino, William Petersen and John Carpenter at special screenings of movies they appeared in or made.
And that’s not all! Stunt icon Kenji Tanigaki brings his instantly infamous epic-fight-fest, ‘The Furious’, to the Egyptian Theatre for its US Premiere, while Jalmari Helander’s ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ will raise the action to another level.
Plus, there is the usual host of retrospective presentations, including Al Pacino discussing the legacy of ‘Dick Tracy’, an event celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Karyn Kusama’s ‘The Invitation’ and Gore Verbinski returns to the Egyptian Theatre for a very special screening of ‘The Ring’.
This year’s event runs between September 23rd –– October 8th.
In partnership with the American Cinematheque and presented exclusively by distributor NEON, Beyond Fest will screen at the Egyptian Theatre, Aero Theatre and Los Feliz 3. Theatre.
Taking as its inspiration the infamous slaying of President John F. Kennedy in Texas in 1963, ‘Assassination’ will dig into the issue of who truly orchestrated the killing.
The film focuses on ground-breaking female crime reporter Dorothy Kilgallen played by Jessica Chastain.
When she suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find President John F. Kennedy’s real killer. Kilgallen’s journey will put her up against the CIA, mafia bosses and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.
Levinson has financing for this one and is busy putting the pieces together. He’s looking to start the cameras rolling early next year in Boston.
Who else is in ‘Assassination’?
Oscar® nominee, Al Pacino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
In addition to Leto –– assuming he actually locks in his deal –– and Chastain, the cast will include the starry likes of Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston.
And on the creative team front, the script is co-written by David Mamet, who in a rare case of collaboration, worked with Levinson and ‘Elvis’ writer Sam Bromell.
The new movie is produced by Corey Large and Jason Sosnoff, with Large also providing financing. John Burnham, Bernie Gewissler, Pia Patatian and Jordan Nott are the executive producers.
It’s quite a team and sounds intriguing, though it’ll have to go some to compete with the likes of ‘JFK’ and ‘Parkland.’
Bona fide legend Pacino has a number of movies on the way. He’s in the cast for Johnny Depp’s directorial debut, ‘Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness’ and has the likes of ‘The Ritual,’ ‘Killing Castro,’ ‘Hand of Dante,’ ‘Easy’s Waltz’ and ‘Billy Knight’ making their way through post-production.
He’s more personally involved in his next Shakespeare-based film, starring in and producing a new adaptation of ‘King Lear’ called ‘Lear Rex,’ directed by Bernard Rose. That movie should be in theaters later in 2025 and also features Chastain.
Talking of, she’s starring in Michael Franco’s new crime drama pic ‘Dreams’ and is a producer on a variety of other projects, including ‘Losing Clementine’ and ‘Wayland.’
On the TV front, she’s starring in a new series called ‘Savant’ about a deep-cover investigator who infiltrates hate groups and looks to bring down the nation’s most violent men.
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Fraser, who scored an Oscar for his performance in ‘The Whale,’ has ‘Rental Family’ on the way and is at work on new World War II drama ‘Pressure,’ in which he plays President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
He’ll also be seen in comedy drama movie ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great,’ which will be out next year.
Perhaps most excitingly, he’ll reprise the role of Hal in a limited series revival of sitcom ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ with co-stars Frankie Muniz and Jane Kaczmarek also returning for a four-episode update of the family’s story from original series creator Linwood Boomer.
The new episodes will appear on Disney+, but a date has yet to be set for that one.
When will ‘Assassination’ be in theaters?
Despite having funding in place and a shoot date, the film is still locking in a distribution home and has yet to secure a release date.
Beyond Fest runs September 25th – October 9th, 2024.
Preview:
Beyond Fest is back in Los Angeles for its 12 year later this month.
‘Salem’s Lot,’ ‘The Brutalist’ and more will receive premieres.
Filmmakers including Sam Raimi, Shane Black and more will present retrospectives.
Now entering its 12th year, the highest-attended genre film festival in the US, Beyond Fest is back offering even more exciting screenings and talks with filmmakers.
The event, which has brought first looks at new movies and more to fans for years, is back this month, boasting 82 features, including 16 World Premieres, 4 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 3 US Premieres, and 25 West Coast Premieres.
(L to R) Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in ‘Lethal Weapon’. Photo: Warner Bros.
This year’s event runs between September 25th – October 9th.
In partnership with the American Cinematheque and presented exclusively by distributor NEON, Beyond Fest will screen at the Egyptian Theatre, Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3, and Vista Theatre.
Here’s what Head of Programming Evrim Ersoy has to say about this year’s fest:
“Combining a celebration of cinema whilst firmly focusing our gaze on the next generation of filmmakers has always been at the heart of the Beyond Fest. And this year we have even more opportunity to bring together the full spectrum of genre filmmaking to the community that is at the core of everything we do: from Kiyoshi Kurosawa to Brady Corbet, Jennifer Kent to Sam Raimi, we have created a program that embraces all corners of the cinematic spectrum.”
What could I see at the 2024 Beyond Fest?
2024’s Salem’s Lot. Photo: Warners Bros.
In its inimitable style, Beyond Fest is blending exciting new movies with the chance to experience old favorites and listen to the people who made them.
