Juror #2may only ever have a limited release. The upcoming Warner Bros. movie, which was directed by Clint Eastwood, stars Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp, a juror who faces a major dilemma when he realizes that he holds information that could sway the results of the case. TheJuror #2castalso includes Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough, Gabriel Basso, Leslie Bibb, and Kiefer Sutherland. It is rumored that the movie will be the 94-year-old filmmaker’s last.
A new report fromVarietyreveals that, at the time of writing, theJuror #2release will be severely limited in spite of it potentially being Eastwood’s final film and the fact that he has had a longtime collaboration with Warner Bros. that has lasted five decades. Warner Bros. currentlyhas the movie set to play in a maximum of 50 theaters nationwide, with no plans to expand it any further as of a week before its initial release. They are also reportedly weighing the option of not reporting its box office results.
The movie is also set to play in just one Toronto theater and 160 total Canadian screens via Cineplex. Reada statement from a Warner Bros. spokesperson about the movie’s rolloutbelow:
Juror #2 is releasing in the U.S., U.K., France, Spain, Italy and Germany with the full support of Warner Bros. The film will have its worldwide debut at the AFI Film Festival this weekend.
This potential compromised release for the movie, which comes with a budget of more than $30 million,may be the result of Warner Bros. belief that it will not perform well at the 2025 Oscars, in the wake of Clint Eastwood’s past five movies only earning two nominations between them. The studio may also doubt his box office pull after his most recent movie, 2021’sCry Macho, only earned $16.5 million against its $33 million budget, leading Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav to question the studio’s decision-making on the project after becoming CEO in 2022.
What This Means For Juror #2
Financial Disappointment May Already be A Foregone Conclusion
Ultimately, this quiet release for theupcomingJuror #2could bea self-fulfilling prophecy for Warner Bros. Adult-oriented fare released during awards season can gain a huge boost if it is nominated for major prizes, but the company not throwing its weight behind the project would likely have limited its prospects even if it had not been prevented from expanding into wide release.
Juror #2is not featured on Warner Bros.' For Your Consideration web page.
It seems that the one chance for the newClint Eastwood movieto make a splash is its streaming release. It is likely to debut on Max, Warner Bros.' proprietary streaming service, and in fact wasoriginally developed as a streaming movie. If it connects with an at-home audience, this could redeem a lackluster box office run and potentially even resurrect its awards chances.
Our Take On The Juror #2 Theatrical Run
The Movie Should Be Given More Of A Chance
Even thoughCry Machounderperformed,its release occurred during the pandemic-depressed box office doldrums of 2021(not to mention a simultaneous day-and-date HBO Max streaming release), soJuror #2deserves a chance at reversing that movie’s fortunes. If it is truly the iconic filmmaker’s final project, his career deserves a more robust sendoff than what it is currently getting. Additionally, the rumors about it being his final film could have helped boost the movie’s notoriety, even without awards buzz, and drawn audiences to theaters.
Juror #2
Cast
Justin Kemp, a juror in a prominent murder trial, encounters a moral conflict as he realizes his influence over the jury’s decision. Struggling with the potential consequences, he faces the ethical challenge of possibly swaying the verdict to either convict or free the wrong individual, complicating his role significantly.
