Gunpowder Milkshake - What We Know So Far

After years in production, it looks like Israeli director Navot Papushado's newest film, "Gunpowder Milkshake," will finally receive a wide release, thanks to a distribution deal signed with Netflix.

"Gunpowder Milkshake" is Papushado's first feature-length film since "Big Bad Wolves," which caught international attention when Quentin Tarintino called it "the best film of the year," via SlashFilm. The film, which revolves around a group of female assassins, was first announced in 2018, and the studio finished principal photography in August of 2019, reports HN Entertainment. After completing post-production in early 2021, the film's US distribution rights were put up for competitive auction, which Netflix ultimately won, according to Deadline.

The film is Papushado's first to feature an A-list cast of Hollywood stars and should make a splash when it begins streaming on Netflix later this year. Here is everything we know about "Gunpowder Milkshake"'s release date, cast, and plot.

While Deadline confirmed that "Gunpowder Milkshake" would be released by Netflix in 2021, the report did not release a specific release date. It did, however, mention that the film would arrive as part of Netflix's recently confirmed summer lineup of original films premiering on the streaming service. Those films are listed on Netflix's official blog, and a slate doc linked from that page gives release dates for the streaming service's upcoming movies that run from the beginning of May to the end of August.

With such a wide range of summer release dates already in the pipeline, it is difficult to predict with accuracy when Netflix will release the film. However, Deadline mentioned that the film might be a candidate for a hybrid release model, in which the film will stream on Netflix and see a simultaneous theatrical, as HBO Max did with "Mortal Kombat." If this is the case, then a late summer release might be more realistic to give the film's marketing more time to reach audiences.

In addition, the Netflix slate doc shows that the streaming service will debut 10 new films in June, but only five in July and just three in August. Netflix may plan on holding the film's premiere in either of those less crowded months to help balance out their schedule.

The plot of "Gunpowder Milkshake" revolves around three generations of female assassins, and its cast features some very notable actresses with character details coming from an Empire exclusive. Karen Gillan, the actress who appears as Nebula in the MCU, plays the lead role of Sam, a young woman raised to be a deadly hit-woman for a crime syndicate. Lena Hedley, best known for playing Cersei Lannister in "Game of Thrones," will appear as Scarlet, Sam's mother, an elite assassin forced to give up Sam at a young age.

Also appearing is child actress Chloe Coleman, who will play Emily, a girl Sam tries to protect, alongside Angela Bassett as Anna May, Michelle Yeoh as Florence, and Carla Gugino as Mathilde, three more female assassins known as The Librarians.

Rounding out the cast are Paul Giamatti and Ralph Ineson, although their roles in the story have not been explained. All of these talented actors are being directed by Navot Papushado, whose breakout film "Big Bad Wolves" was nominated for multiple awards by the Israeli Film Academy, via IMDb.

While the official description for the story of "Gunpowder Milkshake" is pretty sparse, it does give viewers a basic outline for what to expect from the films. The plot of "Gunpowder Milkshake" is centered around three generations of female assassins, most notably the mother and daughter pair played by Lena Hedley as Scarlet and Karen Gillan as Sam. Throughout a single night, they will "fight to stop a vicious cycle of violence that has haunted their lives," writes Deadline.

Some details of the story were filled in by the descriptions of images shared with Empire. From those brief descriptions, it is explained that Scarlet was forced to give up Sam while she was 12, and Sam was subsequently raised by a crime syndicate known as The Firm. Sam is a loyal hit-woman for the firm until she is forced to chose between her employer and a young girl caught in the crossfire of a botched assignment.

Sam chooses to protect the girl and enlists the help of Scarlet and three other female assassins, The Librarians. While viewers can probably assume that some assassin-related action ensues, they will just have to wait until Netflix releases the film later this summer to find out what happens next.