First Look: Steven Soderbergh Returns To Making Movies With ‘Logan Lucky’
Steven Soderberghis back. Well, kind of. He never really went away to begin with, when you consider the fact that he spent his “retirement"directing a TV movieandmaking a TV showandproducingothershowsandfilmsandserving as cinematographer on a sequel to one of his own movies.
But he’s finally returning to the movies, as a director, for real, withLogan Lucky, starringDaniel Craig,Channing Tatum,Adam Driver, and many, many more. And new Soderbergh movie would be great news no matter what the context, so let’s go ahead and celebrate, shall we? Bleecker Street has announced it’s picking up Soderbergh’s NASCAR heist movie for release this summer, and they’ve shared the very first photo to mark the occasion. Get yourLogan Luckyfirst look below.
Here is yourLogan Luckyfirst-look photo, featuring a long-haired Adam Driver, a de-glammed Channing Tatum, and a towheaded Daniel Craig.
The logline forRebecca Blunt’s script reads as follows:
Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Logan Luckyhas been described in broad terms as anOcean’s 11-style heist film with a NASCAR twist. Craig appears to be playing a criminal type — set photos have shown himin jail stripes– and I’m guessing the brothers recruit him for their big plans. Presumably, that tunnel is part of their complicated scheme.
Not surprisingly, Soderbergh’s first theatrical feature since 2013’sSide Effectshas attracted all sorts of big-name talent. Besides to the three pictured above,Logan Luckywill also starRiley Keough,Hilary Swank,Seth MacFarlane,Katie Holmes,Katherine Waterston,Dwight Yoakam,Sebastian Stan,David Denman,Macon Blair,Jack Quaid, andBrian Gleeson. It’ll additionally feature six real NASCAR stars in “non-driver cameo roles,” so if you like the sport then keep your eyes peeled for any background characters who seem to get a suspicious amount of camera time.
Bleecker Street will haveLogan Luckyout in wide releaseAugust 18. Its competition that weekend includes the Ryan Reynolds / Samuel L. Jackson action-comedyThe Hitman’s Bodyguardand animated sequelThe Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature.Logan Lucky’s release doubles as a coming-out party for Soderbergh’s newly formed Fingerprint Releasing, which is teaming with Bleecker. In an accompanying statement, Soderbergh hinted that he’d like to shake some stuff up with his new company:
This is the result of 16 years of conversations I’ve had with Dan about creating a new distribution paradigm for star-driven, wide release projects. With ‘Logan Lucky,’ I have the right movie, the right team, and the right partner in Bleecker Street to test some personal theories I’ve accumulated. It’s put-up-or-shut-up time.
