Spiderhead

Spiderhead is an upcoming American science fiction thriller film directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, based on the dystopian short story Escape from Spiderhead by George Saunders. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett. Principal photography took place in Australia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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
  • June 17, 2022 (2022-06-17)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Spiderhead is scheduled to be released on Netflix on June 17, 2022.

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, which are run by prison overseer Steve Abnesti. Inmate Jeff comes to care for another prisoner, Rachel, and tries to outmaneuver the experiments of the prison to save her.

Cast
Chris Hemsworth stars in the film as prison overseer Steve Abnesti

Production

Development

Escape from Spiderhead was first published in The New Yorker in 2010, and in author George Saunders's collection of short stories Tenth of December in 2013. A film adaptation was announced in February 2019 with Joseph Kosinski set to direct from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.[1] In September 2020, Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett joined the cast.[2]

Filming
Filming took place at the Hinze Dam in Queensland, Australia

Principal photography for Escape from Spiderhead commenced in early November 2020[3] in Queensland, Australia,[4] in November 2020 following a AU$21.58 million investment from the Australian Government, shared with the production of Pieces of Her (lured to Sydney from British Columbia, Canada), to boost the national economy during 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.[6]

Locations for filming included the Gold Coast, Darlington, as well as popular tourist destination the Whitsundays.[7] 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.”[7] Screen Queensland named Hinze Dam and Tallebudgera Valley as places the production shot on location.[7]

Themes

The original short story Escape from Spiderhead, published in The New Yorker in 2010,[8] contains didactic themes which are common in the work of author George Saunders, including the role of work and despair in society.[9] The story, which is set in a dystopian future, includes a number of complex and intense themes including depression and suicide.

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 was expected to premiere in the fourth quarter of 2021.[10][4] In April 2022, the film was confirmed to be releasing on June 17, 2022.[11]

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. "LOCATION SPOTLIGHT: QUEENSLAND STARRING IN NETFLIX'S ESCAPE FROM SPIDERHEAD". Ausfilm. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  8. "Escape from Spiderhead". The New Yorker. December 13, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  9. Boddy, Kasia (2017), Coleman, Philip; Gronert Ellerhoff, Steve (eds.), ""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, ISBN 978-3-319-49931-4, retrieved January 12, 2022
  10. White, Peter (April 20, 2021). "'The Witcher', 'You' & 'Cobra Kai' Will Return To Netflix In Q4 2021". Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  11. Collis, Clark (April 21, 2022). "Miles Teller is Chris Hemsworth's guinea pig in first look at new prison sci-fi film Spiderhead". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
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