It’s official, “Rebel Ridge” will be released on September 6. No theatrical launch or fall fests planned, this one is going straight to Netflix. We now have a trailer. It has shades of Carpenter’s “Assault on Precinct 13” all over it.
Saulnier’s filmography includes 2014’s “Blue Ruin” and 2016’s “Green Room” — both strong films and detailed with the kind of visceral violence that makes you feel every gunshot, every stabbing and every punch.
“Rebel Ridge,” Saulnier’s first film in over five years, has had a tumultuous journey. Shooting began in early 2020 for this one, and the controversies started piling up after that.
This is the infamous film that had its original lead actor, John Boyega, abruptly walking out of the set in 2021, under controversial circumstances. Boyega was soon replaced by Aaron Pierre, and filming resumed in early 2022. The cast is now composed of Pierre, Don Johnson, James Badge Dale, James Cromwell, Anna Sophia, and Robb Emory Cohen.
The thriller centers on an ex-Marine who uncovers a web of small-town corruption when an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates into a violent standoff with police. Here’s the official synopsis:
Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) enters the town of Shelby Springs on a simple but urgent mission– post bail for his cousin and save him from imminent danger. But when Terry’s life’s savings is unjustly seized by law-enforcement, he’s forced to go head to head with local police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his combat-ready officers. Terry finds an unlikely ally in court clerk Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb) and the two become ensnared in a deep-rooted conspiracy within the remote township. As the stakes turn deadly, Terry must call upon his mysterious background to break the department’s hold on the community, bring justice to his own family– and protect Summer in the process.
Saulnier recently spoke, for the first time, about the chaotic experience of shooting “Rebel Ridge”. Speaking to Film Stories, Saulnier described the making of “Rebel Ridge” as “tumultuous.” “We came back three years in a row to make that movie,” he told the outlet.
Of course, we all know the rule: take these reactions with a grain of salt rather than treating them as gospel. Still, I will say that the film tested like gangbusters earlier this year, and Lionsgate clearly has confidence.