Clint Eastwood’s ‘Juror No. 2’ set to arrive on streaming
Clint Eastwood’s legal thriller Juror No. 2 will arrive on the streaming platform Max in the United States on December 20th. This confirms speculation that Warner Bros plans to rush the film’s theatrical release after distributing it to only 50 theatres in the US.
Earlier this month, Eastwood was absent from the film’s Los Angeles premiere, signalling that all was not right between him and the studio. Warner Bros also offered an extremely limited marketing campaign, suggesting that they’d prefer to sweep the film under the carpet as quickly as possible.
The move to limit the release of Juror No. 2 has been met with bemusement and outrage from many in the film industry. At 94, the director may not make many more films, but his legacy with the studio is unparalleled.
Since 1971, Eastwood has directed, starred in, or produced (and sometimes all three) 46 films for Warner Bros. With his sparse approach to filmmaking and knack for making crowd-pleasers, he has given the studio a stunning return on investment.
According to calculations by IndieWire, his 46 films have cost $2.7billion in total (adjusted for inflation) and raked in an estimated $9billion at the box office. He has provided the studio with an unprecedented profit margin and helped net the company multiple awards, including two ‘Best Picture’ Oscars.
Many industry insiders and Eastwood fans believe that the studio owed the filmmaker a standard release and a full-scale marketing campaign simply as a matter of respect. The fact that reviews and audience reactions to the movie have been almost uniformly glowing only deepens the confusion over Warner Bros’ actions.
The reaction to ‘Juror No. 2’
The film stars Nicholas Hoult as a juror in a murder trial who faces a moral reckoning that could determine whether the defendant is set free or convicted. Reviews have been enthusiastic, with critics saying that Eastwood is back in top form, using his famously spare filmmaking style to tell a riveting story with a philosophical undercurrent.
Many prominent directors have leapt to Eastwood’s defence as well. Guillermo del Toro took to Blue Sky to say that he had seen the film with a “significant crowd” that was engaged the whole way through. “I truly hope WB can hold it longer,” he concluded. “Eastwood is a master filmmaker and the steady, unfussy craft reveals him still in great form.”
Juror No. 2 is still in select available to watch theatres in the US and UK.
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