Clint Eastwood is making his highly anticipated return to the cinema with the courtroom drama Juror #2, set to debut next month. The 94-year-old director recently unveiled the film’s first trailer, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Nicholas Hoult takes on the role of Justin Kemp, a devoted family man called for jury duty in a sensational murder case. The drama unfolds as Kemp recalls an incident from a year earlier when he may have struck a deer while driving through a rainstorm. This moment becomes crucial as he serves on a jury that might be linked to that fateful night.
The deer Kemp believes he hit could potentially relate to the deceased woman at the heart of the trial. According to Warner Bros., “Kemp finds himself facing a profound moral conflict that could influence the jury’s decision, affecting whether the defendant is convicted or exonerated.”
“Maybe I didn’t hit a deer,” Kemp cautiously confides to his attorney.
From legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood comes Juror #2. Only in theaters starting November 1. Get your tickets now! #Juror2Movie https://t.co/t5q427Fd9a pic.twitter.com/lD2rNJoRqS
— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) October 1, 2024
The impressive cast of Juror #2 also features talents like Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough, Gabriel Basso, Leslie Bibb, Amy Aquino, Adrienne C. Moore, and Kiefer Sutherland. Additionally, Eastwood’s daughter, Francesca Eastwood, will make an appearance.
Eastwood directs from a screenplay by Jonathan Abrams, marking his first directing project since 2021’s Cry Macho. The narrative surrounding Juror #2 suggests it could be Eastwood’s final endeavor, both as an actor and director. An April 2023 article in The Hollywood Reporter revealed Eastwood’s intent to discover one last meaningful project before “riding off into the sunset with dignity.” The director found Abrams’s script, pitched it to Warner Bros., and commenced production in June 2023.
Could Juror #2 emerge as a contender for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards? Depending on its reception, the fact that it could serve as Eastwood’s swan song might influence voters to nominate him one last time. Moreover, the 2025 Oscars are shaping up to be a more open race compared to last year’s contest, which was primarily dominated by Oppenheimer.
The film will make its debut at the AFI Fest on October 27, 2024, followed by a limited theatrical release on November 1, 2024.
