If there was ever a phrase to surmise the cinematic career of one John Hillcoat, it would be quality over quantity. Having helmed The Proposition, The Road, and Lawless across the last decade, the revered Australian director has cooked up enough adult-oriented dramas to keep us all on the edge of our seats, and it looks as though the filmmaker is remaining firmly in his wheelhouse for his next venture behind the camera: Triple Nine.
With a star-studded cast in tow, the upcoming feature will be a heist film in nature, one which, judging by the release of today’s trailer, boasts a tone and aesthetic that are almost unbearably dark. Centering on Casey Affleck’s do-gooder, the Matt Cook-scripted thriller charts the trials and tribulations that a group of crooked cops face when confronted by the Russian mob. Left with little choice, the officers then set about staging what is known as a 999 – protocol for ‘officer down’ – in order to pull of a daring heist that teeters on the edge of impossible.
As we alluded to before, Triple Nine is turning heads and raising eyebrows with its ensemble, with Affleck being joined by Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmer and Clifton Collins, Jr. Given that Hillcoat’s noir contains many of the same themes as True Detective, we expect Woody Harrelson to thrive in his own role, while the additions of Breaking Bad alum Aaron Paul and the always-compelling Kate Winslet are worth getting excited about in their own right.
Open Road Films will launch Triple Nine via limited release come February 19, 2016.
In TRIPLE NINE, a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist and the only way to pull it off is to manufacture a 999, police code for “officer down.” Their plan is turned upside down when the unsuspecting rookie they set up to die foils the attack, triggering a breakneck action-packed finale tangled with double-crosses, greed and revenge.