The first trailer for Richard Jewell has been released today, offering a look at the latest film from director Clint Eastwood. The movie is a surprise addition to the 2019 release calendar, as filming only began this past June. But Clint works incredibly fast, and basically did the same thing with last year’s The Mule.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and based on true events, “Richard Jewell” is a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth. “There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes.” The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta bombing—his report making him a hero whose swift actions save countless lives.
But within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI’s number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart. Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant (Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell) , Jewell staunchly professes his innocence. But Bryant finds he is out of his depth as he fights the combined powers of the FBI, GBI and APD to clear his client’s name, while keeping Richard from trusting the very people trying to destroy him.
Kathy Bates costars as Richard’s mother, Bobi, while Jon Hamm leads the FBI investigation as Tom Shaw. Olivia Wilde rounds out the central cast as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs.
The first trailer for Richard Jewell sets the film up as a companion piece to Eastwood’s 2016 drama Sully. Both movies are based on true stories and center on heroic protagonists who unjustly come under fire by law enforcement. Sully was a critical and commercial hit, landing on both the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review’s list of the 10 best films of the year.
Richard Jewell is opening in theaters nationwide December 13.
