HBO's No Sudden Move - What We Know So Far
No one does a crime thriller quite like Steven Soderbergh. From Out of Sight to Ocean's Eleven, the acclaimed director always puts a stylish spin on his caper-fueled features, and there's no doubt that his latest project, No Sudden Move, will continue the trend. The 1955 Detroit-set movie is part of the director's overall deal with HBO Max, and if not for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, filming would have already been underway in spring 2020.
In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Soderbergh stressed how important it was for him that the movie actually be filmed in Detroit. "I wanna get back there," he said at the time. "This was a movie that I'd been working on for a long time. It's a great script. We had a great cast together. It's a period crime film set in 1955."
Thankfully, the time has finally come for filming on No Sudden Move to get underway. And yes, the director held true to his promise to film the movie on location in Detroit. As reported by Deadline, No Sudden Move is officially back in production — with COVID-19 precautions in place — as of September 28. While it's still early days on the film, the details released about No Sudden Move so far suggest it's going to be an intense, fun crime thriller with an absolutely stacked cast of stars. Here's everything we know so far.
When will No Sudden Move be released on HBO Max?
Due to the pandemic, even confirmed release dates continue to be tenuous estimations at best. At the moment, No Sudden Move is expected to film straight through November 2020 before post-production on the film can get underway, per Detroit Free Press. Barring any production shutdowns or new COVID-19-induced hiccups, the earliest viewers can expect to see the movie would be spring 2021. That said, HBO Max may elect to hold the film back until the summer — or even the fall — depending on the streamer's scheduling needs.
In January 2020, Soderbergh inked a three-year overall deal with HBO to produce a number of projects for the premium channel and HBO Max, and one of those projects is already in the can. It seems likely that before No Sudden Move is released, HBO Max will debut Soderbergh's Meryl Streep-led road trip movie Let Them All Talk. The streamer previewed Let Them All Talk in a July 2020 teaser, but with a release date still pending, it's unclear when the Soderbergh projects will start rolling out on HBO Max.
HBO Max's No Sudden Move is full of big name stars, but the production delay squashed an exciting reunion
Soderbergh has lined up a stellar cast for No Sudden Move. The project has attracted a number of major stars including Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Benicio Del Toro (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Brendan Fraser (Doom Patrol), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), and Stranger Things favorite David Harbour. Additionally, the movie has a little something for fans of HBO's Emmy-winning drama Succession: Kieran Culkin is also part of the cast. lthough the heist film appears to be focused primarily on the male characters, Amy Seimetz (The Comey Rule), Frankie Shaw (SMILF), and Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) have also been cast in key roles.
As impressive as that cast list is, the movie almost featured a reunion between Soderbergh and his frequent collaborator George Clooney. Prior to the COVID-19 delay in filming, both Clooney and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Sebastian Stan were in talks to appear in the film. Sadly, Variety reported that neither actor is set to appear in the film now, but that won't stop us from keeping our fingers crossed for a surprise Clooney cameo.
The plot of HBO Max's No Sudden Move sounds pretty exciting
Ed Solomon, the writer of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Men in Black, penned the script, and it sounds like viewers can expect some of his trademark playfulness in the movie, which was originally called Kill Switch, according to Variety. Set in 1955 Detroit, the movie follows a group of small time criminals as they steal what they believe is an unimportant document for an unnamed client. It's only after they pull off the job that they realize they've painted targets on their backs.
When their plan goes sideways, the group has no choice but to figure out who hired them for such a dangerous job and why. Their search for answers will take them across the changing landscape of '50s Detroit, so expect plenty of period flourishes along the way.
Even without a firm release date, the cast and plot of No Sudden Move are reason enough to get excited for Soderbergh's HBO Max film.