I didn’t expect Aaron Sorkin’s “Trial of the Chicago 7” to get a theatrical release via Netflix, although there was a rumor that it could happen in October, however, nobody expected it to hit cinemas this coming Friday. That’s exactly what we’ve learned tonight. Of course, the release won’t include any New York or Los Angeles theaters since they are still closed in those states. The rest of the country will be able to catch Sorkin’s latest, which is being touted as a major Oscar contender for next year’s Oscars ceremony (I have my doubts).
If you feel like this is odd and a, very, spur-of-the-moment decision by Netflix then you’re not alone in your thinking. It does feel as though it is being dumped, especially with little to no promo, with nobody is really talking about the movie either. I will be watching it tomorrow night via screener link, maybe buzz starts to build up when the embargo lifts midweek and positive reviews start to emerge, who knows.
Netflix doesn’t need to put this in theaters to qualify for awards, so what exactly is going on here? Is it a contractual obligation that was signed off on when Paramount sold it to the streaming giant? As it turns out, this low-key release will be the biggest movie to open in theaters since “Tenet” was released almost a month ago. Who’da thunk it.
The Trial of the Chicago 7,” written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, is the true story of a group of seven activists who were charged by the federal government with inciting a riot stemming from anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
The film’s cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, William Hurt, Michael Keaton, and Mark Rylance.
It’s been seven years since Alma Har’el’s feature debut, “Honey Boy,” which was written by and starred Shia LaBeouf — she is now set to direct her next film, with a very talented cast.