February 8, 1977. A mortgage broker named Richard Hall walks into his Indianapolis office. By lunchtime, there's a shotgun wired to his head—trigger rigged to fire if he so much as twitches. His kidnapper, Tony Kiritsis, wants $5 million and an apology. And for 63 hours, America watches, hypnotized, as this unhinged spectacle unfolds live on TV.
Cut to 2025. Gus Van Sant—yes, the guy who made Good Will Hunting and also that Psycho remake we all agreed to forget—drops the first look at Dead Man's Wire, his take on Kiritsis' batshit saga. And of course, who's playing the shotgun-wielding madman? Bill Skarsgård. Because if there's one thing Hollywood loves, it's typecasting the guy who played Pennywise as another charming lunatic.
The First Look:
The image (courtesy of DiscussingFilm) is pure tension: Skarsgård, wild-eyed, pressing that wired-up shotgun to Dacre Montgomery's head as cops swarm. It's gritty, unnerving, and—let's be honest—exactly the kind of role Skarsgård devours. The man's made a career out of being unsettling (It, Barbarian, Nosferatu), and this? This is his wheelhouse.
But here's the thing.
Why This Story? Why Now?
The ‘70s were full of weird, media-obsessed crimes (see: Dog Day Afternoon), but Kiritsis' stunt was next-level. He didn't just take a hostage—he turned it into a performance. Live radio calls, a televised rant where he declared himself a “national hero,” even forcing Hall to sign a confession mid-ordeal. It was theater. And if anyone can capture that blend of menace and showmanship, it's Skarsgård.
Van Sant's a curious choice, though. His best work (Elephant, Milk) thrives on quiet humanity. His worst (Sea of Trees) drowns in pretension. But maybe that's the point. Maybe he's the perfect director to dig into Kiritsis' twisted charisma—not just as a monster, but as a guy who thought he was the hero.
The Cast (Because Oh Right, There's More):
- Colman Domingo (because every prestige flick needs him now)
- Al Pacino (presumably playing “Grizzled Cop Who's Seen Too Much”)
- Myha'la and Cary Elwes (roles TBD, but let's hope Elwes gets to be smug)
Skarsgård's Take:
In a Vanity Fair chat last year, he mused on not wanting to be a “movie star”—just an actor who transforms. “I need to get as far away from me as possible.” Mission accomplished, Bill. Between this and Nosferatu, dude's basically the new Willem Dafoe.
The Big Question:
Will this be more Dog Day Afternoon or another Joker wannabe? The ‘70s aesthetic is ripe for exploitation, but true-crime fatigue is real. If Van Sant leans into the absurdity—the sheer WTF-ness of Kiritsis' stunt—it could be brilliant. If it's just “man yells with gun for two hours,” well… at least Skarsgård'll be entertaining.
Venice Premiere:
Mark your calendars. Dead Man's Wire hits the 82nd Venice Film Festival—no release date yet, but expect a 2025 rollout.
