Top 200 Most Anticipated Films for 2014: #100. Michael Cuesta’s Kill the Messenger

Kill the Messenger

Director: Michael Cuesta
Writer: Peter Landesman
Producers: Pamela Abdy, Naomi Despres, Jeremy Renner, Scott Stuber
U.S. Distributor: Focus Features
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael Sheen, Michael K. Williams, Robert Patrick, Ray Liotta, Barry Pepper, Andy Garcia, Paz Vega, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Blake Nelson, Oliver Platt, Jena Sims, Lucas Hedges, Richard Schiff, Yul Vazquez

We know him as the director behind indie nuggets such as L.I.E., hotel room splendor of 12 and Holding and more recently, Roadie, so after a mostly low-budget indie filmography Michael Cuesta cross over into bigger budget big leagues is due to a successful stint on Homeland. Kill the Messenger sounds like compelling material, and sports and impressive ensemble cast, and we’re banking that visually it’ll pay dividends with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt who is currently at the top of his game.

Gist: Based on the novel by Nick Schou and true story from journalist Gary Webb.Gary Webb, this is about a reporter (Jeremy Renner) who becomes the target of a vicious smear campaign that drives him to the point of suicide after he exposes the CIA’s role in arming Contra rebels in Nicaragua and importing cocaine into California.

Release Date: Shot during the midway point in 2013, we imagine this is already in the can and attempting to get some festival play. Cannes is a possibility, but Focus might be looking for autumn film fest play dates.

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