While Steven Spielberg‘s 2005 film Munich explored the fallout of the shocking event at the 1972 Olympics, the new thriller, September 5, follows the newsroom of an American Sports broadcasting crew as the incident unfolds. Paramount Pictures has released the trailer for what’s being hailed as “One of the best movies of the year.” The film stars Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Zinedine Soualem, Georgina Rich, Corey Johnson, Marcus Rutherford, Daniel Adeosun, Benjamin Walker and Ferdinand Dörfler.
The official synopsis reads,
“September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time.
At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), Geoff unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage. As narratives shift, time ticks away, and conflicting rumors spread, with the hostages’ lives hanging in the balance, Geoff grapples with tough decisions while confronting his own moral compass.”
September 5 is directed by Tim Fehlbaum from a script written by himself, Moritz Binder and Alex David. Executive producers on the movie include Martin Moszkowicz and Christoph Müller. Philipp Trauer, Thomas Wöbke, Tim Fehlbaum, Sean Penn, John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth are all on board as the producers. The film also was made in association with Republic Pictures. It is a Berghauswöbke Film and Projected Picture Works production in a co-production with Constantin Film and ERF Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion.
September 5 releases in select theaters on November 29 and then nationwide on December 13.