MOVIE NEWS – Gus Van Sant’s latest film, Dead Man’s Wire, tackles a chilling true story: the infamous 1977 Indianapolis kidnapping that shocked America. With a star-studded cast including Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino, the first official images set an icy tone for what’s to come.

Historical crime dramas and thrillers turn unforgettable real-life events into cinematic experiences, letting audiences relive moments that shaped laws and even society itself. The newest entry in this tradition is Dead Man’s Wire, directed by Gus Van Sant, which revisits the twists and tension of the 1977 kidnapping in a cast packed with Hollywood heavyweights. The first-look image is instantly gripping: Bill Skarsgård (It) plays Tony Kiritsis, holding a shotgun to mortgage banker Richard Hall’s (Dacre Montgomery) head.

DiscussingFilm shared the photo on X (formerly Twitter), revealing the moment when police swarmed Kiritsis while Hall remained at gunpoint. The cast also features Colman Domingo, Myha’la, Cary Elwes, John Robinson, and the legendary Oscar-winner Al Pacino. Scripted by Austin Kolodney and produced by Cassian Elwes, Joel David Moore, and others, Dead Man’s Wire will have its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. The movie tells the true story of Anthony George “Tony” Kiritsis, an Indianapolis man who fell behind on his mortgage payments.

Kiritsis’s mortgage broker, Richard O. Hall, refused to offer an extension. Tony became convinced that Hall and his father were plotting to seize his property for profit after its value had increased. On the morning of February 8, 1977, Kiritsis entered Hall’s office and rigged a shotgun to the back of Hall’s head with a wire—one end attached to the trigger and the other to Hall’s neck. His demand: $5 million and a public apology.

Calling the police from Hall’s office, Tony announced what he’d done, laying out a deadly plan: if he was shot or Hall tried to escape, the shotgun would fire. For 63 tense hours, he held Hall hostage, even calling in to local radio stations to make his case. Eventually, Hall signed a document in the presence of an attorney admitting mistreatment of Tony and promising to pay the ransom. In a dramatic live television speech, Kiritsis declared himself a national hero—prompting many TV stations to cut the feed in fear of a tragedy unfolding on air.

First look at Gus Van Sant’s ‘DEAD MAN’S WIRE’, starring Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo and Dacre Montgomery.

The hostage thriller follows a man who takes a mortgage banker who did him wrong hostage, demanding $5 million and a personal apology. pic.twitter.com/iMMeDnKdox

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 21, 2025

Bill Skarsgård Is the Perfect Tony Kiritsis in Dead Man’s Wire

Bill Skarsgård has become a modern horror icon, famous for his terrifying turn as Pennywise in It and It: Chapter Two, and appearances in Barbarian (2022), Nosferatu (2024), The Divergent Series: Allegiant, and John Wick: Chapter 4. Dubbed “Hollywood’s new dark prince,” Skarsgård’s roles tend to explore the darker side of cinema—but he’s not worried about being typecast. In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, he discussed the difference between movie stars and actors.

“I definitely don’t want to exclusively play those kind of roles, but I’ve never seen the appeal of the classic star, a movie star. The difference between a movie star and an actor is that a movie star plays himself in every part, in a way. Whereas an actor transforms. There are people that play themselves, and they’re brilliant every single time, but it’s the same thing and they have that shtick. For me, I just don’t think that I’m that charismatic or interesting, so I can’t just lean on that. I need to transform as far away from me as possible.”

Dead Man’s Wire will premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

Source: MovieWeb