Overview
- Vertical released the first official trailer on Thursday, June 25, and confirmed that The Weight will open in theaters on September 18, 2026.
- The film is set in 1933 Oregon and follows jailed war veteran Samuel Murphy, who is offered early release if he agrees to smuggle gold through deadly wilderness.
- Padraic McKinley makes his feature directorial debut on the project, which stars Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe and features a supporting cast that includes Julia Jones and Austin Amelio.
- The Weight premiered on the festival circuit at Sundance and played at Berlin, where critics highlighted Hawke’s performance and compared the film’s tone to classic 1970s survival thrillers.
- Vertical’s trailer and release plan move the film from festival buzz into a distributor-led theatrical campaign that could target audiences seeking big-screen, character-driven thrillers and position the film for fall awards consideration.