Escape from Spiderhead

Escape from Spiderhead is an upcoming American science fiction action thriller film directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, based on the short story of the same name by George Saunders.

Escape from Spiderhead
Directed byJoseph Kosinski
Screenplay by
Based on"Escape From Spiderhead"
by George Saunders
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyClaudio Miranda
Edited byStephen Mirrione
Music byJoseph Trapanese
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • January 21, 2022 (2022-01-21)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Originally titled Spiderhead, the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett, and is expected to be released on January 21, 2022 by Netflix.

Premise

Two convicts living in a near-future society grapple with their pasts while trapped in a facility that allows prisoners to reduce their sentence time by volunteering for experiments using emotion-altering drugs. An inmate comes to love another prisoner, and tries to outmanouver the overseers of the prison to save her.

Still from Escape from Spiderhead - Netflix Promo

Cast

Production

Conception and adaptation

It was announced in February 2019 that Joseph Kosinski was set to direct the film from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.[1] It was later announced in September 2020 that Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett were cast in the film.[2]

Escape from Spiderhead was first published in The New Yorker in 2010, and in author George Saunders collection of short stories Tenth of December in 2013.

Filming

Principal photography for Escape from Spiderhead commenced in early November 2020[3] in Queensland, Australia,[4] in November 2020 following a AUD$21.58 million investment from the Australian Government to boost the local economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Queensland Premier Annastacia Pałaszczuk said the production would create 360 local jobs and be worth around AUD$47 million to the local economy. “Escape from Spiderhead will give a great boost to the local economy. We’re working hard to secure productions like this for the Gold Coast because we know they create local jobs and pump cash into local businesses."[6] This follows star Chris Hemsworth's work as global ambassador for Tourism Australia, which has to date seen other blockbusters including Thor: Love and Thunder and Mad Max: Fury Road follow up Furiosa brought to Australia. Escape from Spiderhead follows Hemsworth's success in Netflix original Extraction, which was watched a record 99 million times. The number of film productions taking place in Australia tripled during the pandemic, with an estimated 37 projects in 2020.[7]

Locations for filming included the Gold Coast, Darlington, as well as popular tourist destination the Whitsundays.[8] Producer Tommy Harper commented on the locations, “The great thing about this area is you can be on the beach, you can do waterwork, you can be in the desert, you could be in the country and feel like you’re in Texas you can be in a rainforest and feel like you’re in Hawaii.”[8] Screen Queensland named Hinze Dam and Tallebudgera Valley as places the production shot on location.[8]

Themes

The original short story Escape from Spiderhead[9] contains didactic themes which are common in the work of author George Saunders, including the role of work and despair in society.[10]

Release

As part of a video and letter to its shareholders in April 2021, Netflix's co-chief executive officer and chief content officer, Ted Sarandos confirmed that the film is expected to premiere sometime in Q4 2021.[11][4] It is now expected to be released on January 21, 2022 and is the first film for a streaming service for Director Joseph Kosinski.

References
  1. Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 1, 2019). "Netflix Sets Joseph Kosinski To Follow 'Top Gun 2' With Wernick & Reese-Scripted 'Spiderhead'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  2. Kroll, Justin (September 26, 2020). "Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett Set By Netflix For Joseph Kosinski-Directed 'Spiderhead'". Deadline Hollywood.
  3. Wiseman, Andreas (November 11, 2020). "Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley & William Hurt To Star In Timely Political Satire 'The Fence' From Icelandic Director Grimur Hakonarson — AFM Hot Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  4. "Final Q1 2021 Shareholder Letter" (PDF). Netflix. April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  5. Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport. "Netflix's Escape from Spiderhead and Pieces of Her to film in Australia". Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  6. "Hemsworth film to create 360 Queensland jobs". Screen Queensland. November 14, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  7. "Australia and New Zealand, a safe film set during - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  8. "LOCATION SPOTLIGHT: QUEENSLAND STARRING IN NETFLIX'S ESCAPE FROM SPIDERHEAD". Ausfilm. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  9. Saunders, George (December 13, 2010). "Escape from Spiderhead". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  10. Boddy, Kasia (2017), ""A Job to Do"*: George Saunders on, and at, Work", George Saunders, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–22, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-49932-1_1
  11. White, Peter (April 20, 2021). "'The Witcher', 'You' & 'Cobra Kai' Will Return To Netflix In Q4 2021". Retrieved April 20, 2021.
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