If you have Netflix, you’re well aware that Aaron Sorkin’s latest feature, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” is now available to stream globally on the platform. The new drama tells the true story of a group of people in the late-‘60s that were accused of conspiracy after protesting the Democratic National Convention. And though the film takes place more than 50 years ago, the reason the film is being released now is thanks to the current President, Donald Trump.
READ MORE: Aaron Sorkin Says ‘Chicago 7’ Isn’t “A History Lesson” & Is A Film “About Today”
Speaking with Stephen Colbert, as part of this year’s Montclair Film Festival, Aaron Sorkin revealed, in an exclusive clip from the panel, just how Donald Trump’s rhetoric helped get his long-gestating film in front of cameras just in time for this Presidential Election.
As you may already know, ‘Chicago 7,’ has been in development for more than a decade, dating back to before the 2008 election. Back then, the film was said to be directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Sorkin. However, as happens quite often in Hollywood, the film was delayed and actors came and went from the cast. Eventually, the script began gathering dust in Sorkin’s drawer. That all changed when Donald Trump won the Presidency in 2016 and began talking about protestors. It also didn’t hurt that Sorkin’s directorial debut, “Molly’s Game” had impressed Spielberg.
Now, Sorkin has assembled an all-star cast for his courtroom drama that is more about today’s politics than it is about what happened decades ago. And if you are a subscriber to Netflix, you can sit and enjoy the film at your leisure right now.
You can watch the exclusive clip of the discussion between Sorkin and Colbert below: