The streaming war has really heated up over the past few years, as various services compete for supremacy. Netflix has been putting out a ton of original movie content, in addition to their myriad TV series. Plenty of filmmaker have made their way to streaming, including the legendary Aaron Sorkin and his new legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. And Sorkin brought an A+ cast to bring the real-life story to life on film.
Aaaron Sorkin was preparing to film The Trial of the Chicago 7 back in 2007, which eventually fell through due to the writer's strike and Steven Spielberg dropped out as director. Sorkin is directing and wrote the new Netflix movie, which features familiar faces like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, and Michael Keaton. You can check out the trailer for the new drama below.
Aaron Sorkin is the master of legal dramas, and it looks like he's back in the groove for The Trial of the Chicago 7. The story itself is real, and will no doubt make for an even more visceral moviegoing experience when it hits Netflix in just days. And in the process the streaming service further proves itself as as force in the film world.
The trailer for The Trial of the Chicago 7 quickly establishes the movie's setting: 1969 America in the midst of the Vietnam War. It's a time that notoriously divided the country, with protests against the war happening with our continued involvement overseas. We see the tension rising immediately in the footage, as Eddie Redmayne's Tom Hayden organizes protests during in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention.
We're also quickly introduced to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character Richard Schultz, who is ultimately tasked with prosecuting the titular group of activists who were on trial. We watch as armed officers clash with protestors, and ultimately eight people are arrested over allegations of enticing a riot. Yes there are actually eight characters, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Bobby Seale being the outlier.
Fresh off of his Emmy win for Watchmen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a ton of exciting projects coming down the line. The Trial of the Chicago 7 saw him collaborate with Aaron Sorkin, with Abdul-Mateen no doubt thrilled to wrap his lips around the writer's signature dialogue. He's playing Black Panther Party co-creator Bobby Seale, who was notoriously tied and gagged for speaking up during the trial.
Throughout the the trailer for The Trial of the Chicago 7 some of the twists and turns of the legal proceedings are teased. Jurors are removed and Frank Langella's Judge Julius Hoffman puts up various road blocks along the way including Bobby Seale not having legal representation. The details of this real-life trial are infamous, which is no doubt what interested Aaaron Sorkin.
Rounding out the cast are plenty of familiar faces including Sasha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Skins actor Daniel Flaherty, and American Horror Story favorite John Carroll Lynch. Additionally, the great Michael Keaton is playing lawyer Ramsey Clark and Succession's Jeremy Strong is portraying activist Jerry Rubin.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 will be released September 25th on Netflix. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
