Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Snowden movie hasn't been waiting a long time to be seen. Originally it was supposed to be released on Christmas Day last year, but then it was moved to May 13, and then it finally found its permanent release date in mid-September, a great time for it to be an awards contender. However, for some attending San Diego Comic-Con later this week, they'll get the opportunity to see the movie early in a secret screening.
According to Deadline, Open Road Films has scheduled an "unofficial" Snowden screening at Comic-Con on Thursday at an undisclosed location somewhere in downtown San Diego. The article notes that this is "invitation-only event," though they don't elaborate on how one would receive such a gift. The screening will follow the previous scheduled Snowden Hall H panel, and after the movie is shown, there will be a Q&A with director Oliver Stone and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley. If they weren't enticing enough, Edward Snowden will also be appearing, via the Internet. No word yet whether he'll be displayed on a regular screen or if his mobile flat screen monitor will be wheeled in.
Showing Snowden at Comic-Con may seem like a strange choice at first, but don't forget that for many years now, Comic-Con has been the prime destination to plug movies, TV shows, video games, books and more across many genres. It's also fitting that given the movie's content, there's a lot of secrecy surrounding the screening. Who knows how attendees will be selected? Perhaps a physical or digital invitation is actually sent out, or it might be similar to what Star Wars: The Force Awakens did last year when it escorted fans at that panel to a nearby concert. Maybe the Open Road Films folks have already secured a route to get the people attending their panel to that private screening. What, too much?
As anyone who's paid attention to current events in recent years already knows, Snowden will follow the real life story of the eponymous computer expert, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who leaked thousands of classified NSA documents about U.S. government surveillance programs to the press in 2013. Three years later, Edward Snowden is still stuck somewhere in Russia and is unable to return to the United States after they filed charges against him. However, he has still made some public appearances via teleconference, given interviews and keeps an active presence on Twitter. Aside from Levitt and Shailene Woodley, Snowden's cast includes Zachary Quinto, Melissa Leo, Tom Wilkinson, Scott Eastwood, Logan Marshall-Green, Timothy Olyphant and more.
In case you're not one of the lucky few to see Snowden early on Thursday, the movie will be released to the public on September 16.
