As the world enters a second year under the sway of COVID-19, it’s just about the last topic anyone wants to see featured in a new movie release. Hollywood has a history of taking advantage of lousy situations for the sake of a timely story, however. Why should 2021 be any different?
“Locked Down,” previously titled “Lockdown” and the first of what will likely be many COVID/pandemic-themed films in the next few years, debuts in just two weeks on January 14 on HBO Max. The film, the brainchild of “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight and directed by Doug Liman, will release concurrently in U.K. theaters as it debuts on the new streaming platform in the United States.
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Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor star as Linda and Paxton, a recently separated couple stuck at home together during the COVID-19 lockdown. Amidst bickering and lots of wine, they hatch a scheme to pull off a jewelry heist at Harrod’s that may help reignite the spark in their relationship.
READ MORE: ‘Lockdown’: Doug Liman To Direct Anne Hathaway In A Low-Budget, Pandemic-Era Heist Film
There’s a super-talented ensemble of comedic talent accompanying Hathaway and Ejiofor in “Locked Down.” Ben Stiller, Stephen Marchant, Lucy Boynton, Ben Kingsley, Mindy Kaling, Mark Gatiss, Dulé Hill, and Jazmyn Simon round out the cast.
The turnaround on “Locked Down” is impressive, all things COVID considered. The film was shot in London in September and October last year under strict supervision on a small-ish $10 million budget. HBO Max then acquired the film last December for a swift debut this month.
Considering Liman’s reputation for disastrous movie productions due to his very “hands-on” approach, rolling a film out this fast in the middle of a pandemic is quite the feat. His previous film, “Chaos Walking,” also finally releases later this month after countless delays and reshoots.
As much as some audiences likely cannot wait to see Anne Hathaway in another heist film like 2018’s “Ocean’s Eight,” “Locked Down” feels a little too opportunistic of Hollywood. While vaccines provide hope for a timeline when some semblance of normalcy will return to moviegoing and society at large, COVID still rampages the globe.
Is “Locked Down” cashing in on a situation that still feels too tragic? Whatever the case may be, for that alone, it’s arguably the first can’t-miss movie of 2021. The film premieres on HBO Max on January 14.