TheBenedict CumberbatchmovieIronbark, which debuted to strong reviews at Sundance, has been retitledThe Courierand will be released in theaters on Aug. 28 by Lionsgate and sister company Roadside Attractions, it was announced Wednesday.
Dominic Cooke(On Chesil Beach) directed the Cold War spy thriller, which co-starsRachel Brosnahan,Jessie Buckleyand Georgian actorMerab Ninidze.
Tom O’Connor(The Hitman’s Bodyguard) wrote the script, which tells the true story of an unassuming British businessman namedGreville Wynne(Cumberbatch), who was recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. At the behest of the UK’s MI-6 and a CIA operative (Brosnahan), Wynne forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officerOleg Penkovsky(Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The film was produced byAdam Ackland,Ben Browning,Ben PughandRory Aitken, and executive produced byLeah Clarke,Ashley Fox,Glen Basner,Alison Cohen,Milan PopelkaandJosh Varney, as well as Cumberbatch, Cooke and O’Connor. The production also boasts cinematography fromSean Bobbitt, who shot12 Years a SlaveandThe Place Beyond the Pines, as well as an original score fromAbel Korzeniowski(A Single Man).
“Theaters have indicated gradual openings this summer, with health and safety guiding the way. If everything proceeds favorably, we feel the true spy thrillerThe Courier, with a must-see performance by Benedict Cumberbatch, is just the type of film that will have audiences excited to return to their local cinemas in late August,” Roadside co-presidentsHoward CohenandEric d’Arbeloffsaid in a joint statement.
Cumberbatch was nominated for an Oscar for 2015’sThe Imitation Game, but to be honest, I think anyone who playedAlan Turingin that film was probably destined for a nomination.The Courieris a different kind of movie, but legitimate or not, it earned Cumberbatch awards buzz coming out of Sundance, where naturally, I failed to see it. Of course, things have changed since January, and while a late August release doesn’t scream “contender” to me, the mere fact that this film is getting a theatrical release at all in the current climate speaks to the studios' confidence in the material. Still, this is aimed at older, upscale audiences, and those may be the last people to return to theaters once restrictions lift.
As for the title change, I’d say it’s pretty negligible, as neither one is great. Oh well! What’s in a name anyway? Cumberbatch isn’t a great name for a movie star, but I’d say he’s doing just fine. For more onThe Courier,click hereto watch our interview with Brosnahan, Ninidze and Cooke, andclick herefor our review out of Sundance.
