Back in May, when the entire world was still in chaos due to the COVID-19 pandemic (instead of now, when it appears the US is falling behind as the rest of the world figures it out), the Russo Brothers weren’t sure what to do with their upcoming drama, “Cherry.” The film was already pretty much done, but with theaters shut down and the industry’s uncertain future, the directors decided to hold back and figure out the best way to release their highly-anticipated film. Well, it appears the duo have made the decision to partner with Apple, and “Cherry” is likely going to become a serious awards season contender.
According to a report from Deadline, Apple is working out a deal with the Russo Brothers to purchase the distribution rights to “Cherry,” with an agreement said to be in the “high $40 millions.” The film has been on everyone’s radar, as it marks the first feature from the Russos since they wrapped up work on “Avengers: Endgame” (aka the biggest film of all time). Not only that, but “Cherry” also stars Tom Holland, who has quickly become one of the biggest stars on the planet. “Cherry” tells the story of a military veteran that comes back to the US after serving overseas. After suffering from undiagnosed PTSD, he finds himself in a terrible situation with a dependency on opioids leading him to rob banks.
The film is co-written by Jessica Goldberg and Angela Russo-Otstot. The rest of the cast that joins Holland includes Ciara Bravo, Kelli Burglund, Jack Reynor, Forrest Goodluck, Jeff Wahlberg, Michael Gandolfini, Kyle Harvey, and Thomas Lennon.
With the film already finished, this is a no-brainer for Apple, so that it can compete with the rest of the year’s best films for awards consideration. And given that Apple is desperate to find legitimacy and credibility for its production company and Apple TV+ streaming platform, picking up a movie from two of the biggest directors, starring one of the biggest stars, and inserting itself into a pandemic-slimmed awards season seems like a great move.
That being said, it’s unclear when Apple will release the film. The report claims that the idea is for Apple to qualify for awards runs (likely with a select theatrical run) and then debut on Apple TV+ sometime in early 2021. Obviously, we can probably expect a release date announcement and a trailer sooner rather than later.