The Unforgivable Release Date, Cast And Plot - What We Know So Far

It has been almost three years since "Bird Box" took Hollywood by storm. That film succeeded by offering a simple premise — going outside without a blindfold is dangerous — combined with an immersive, transformative performance from star Sandra Bullock. After 45 million people tuned in to watch the Susanne Bier-directed thriller on Netflix (via Forbes), it was practically inevitable that Bullock and the streaming platform would team up once again.

It's happening sooner than you might think. The next collaboration between Sandra Bullock and Netflix is "The Unforgivable," an upcoming film based on the British miniseries "Unforgiven," which aired in 2009. Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, it's likely "The Unforgivable" would have already premiered. However, now that movie theaters are relatively safer than they have been for the last 18 months, "The Unforgivable" is ready for its debut. Based on what we know so far, it should be another dark and complex role for Bullock.

Here's everything we know so far about "The Unforgivable."

As reported by Deadline, "The Unforgivable" will premiere on November 24, 2021 in a limited theatrical release, then debut on Netflix on December 10. It joins a staggering list of Netflix releases, with the platform planning to drop 43 films over the remaining four months of 2021. 

The project has been in development since as early as 2010, and Angelina Jolie was originally considered for the lead (via Deadline). Star Sandra Bullock joined the project as star and producer in late 2019, as reported by Variety. 

"The Unforgivable" was one of the first film productions that had to be rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal photography was scheduled to begin on February 3, 2020, in Vancouver, just over a month before COVID-19 forced most of the United States into a lockdown (via What's on Netflix). Filming finally resumed in September 2020 and was completed a month later, meaning there was an overall delay of seven months.

As reported by Variety, the primary cast of "The Unforgivable" was already set back in February 2020. Sandra Bullock headlines the film as Ruth Slater, a woman can't escape her violent past. The rest of the cast includes Viola Davis, Jon Bernthal ("The Punisher"), Vincent D'Onofrio ("Daredevil"), Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Emma Nelson, Aisling Franciosi and Rob Morgan, although their roles haven't yet been specified.

Beyond Ruth Slater, the other main characters in the story are Ruth's sister Katie, who is now adopted and has a new name, Lucy. Lucy's adoptive parents, Michael and Rachel, are major players, too. Along the way, Ruth meets John Ingram, a family lawyer who agrees to help her find her sister. She also strikes up a romance with Brad, her coworker at a meatpacking plant. After Ruth's release, the two sons of one of her victims, Kieran and Steve, try to track her down for revenge.

The script was written by "Mission Impossible: Fallout" director Chris McQuarrie. "The Unforgivable" will be directed by German director Nora Fingscheidt.

"The Unforgivable" is a remake of a three-part British miniseries "Unforgiven," which aired back in 2009. 

The story follows a woman named Ruth Slater, who's just been released from prison after a lengthy sentence for a violent crime — in the original series, Ruth murdered two police officers. When Ruth is released, she finds that most people will not forgive her, even though she's already served her time. After leaving prison, Ruth sets out to find her long-lost sister, who was put up for adoption shortly after she was incarcerated. Making this task even more difficult, the two sons of one of the murdered police officers are trying to find Ruth for revenge. 

If "The Unforgivable" is anything like the series it's based on, it should be a dark story about a troubled character who's haunted by her past. That's very much in line with Bullock's recent films like "Bird Box." Reviewer Gareth McLean of The Guardian called it "measured and mesmerising" and said it was "the first best drama of 2009." If all goes well, hopefully his new version will live up to its predecessor.