Along came a spider…but these inmates are the ones really caught in a deceitful web.
Netflix’s psychedelic psychological thriller “Spiderhead” pairs mind-freeing drugs with the physically constraining prison system. Based on George Saunders’ New Yorker short story “Escape from Spiderhead,” the film stars Jurnee Smollett and Miles Teller as two inmates who reflect on their past crimes thanks to drug-induced trips in a state-of-the-art penitentiary, run by visionary scientist Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth).
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Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “TRON: Legacy) directs the Netflix film, premiering June 17.
The official synopsis teases a cat and mouse game as Hemsworth instructs prisoners to wear devices that administer dosages of experimental drugs, in exchange for reduced sentences. There are no bars, no cells, or orange jumpsuits in this revolutionary prison called Spiderhead. Instead, “incarcerated volunteers” are free…with certain boundaries. What is free will if one man has control over all minds and bodies?
The dark comedy thriller “Spiderhead” adaptation is penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick who were behind “Deadpool” and “Zombieland.”
Director Kosinski revealed that the pop classic soundtrack, with tracks including Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science” and Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams,” came to him while at the dentist.
“I was listening to something like Christopher Cross while getting a tooth drilled,” Kosinski previously told Entertainment Weekly. “It felt interesting for [Hemsworth’s character] to create this air of relaxation and good times in a facility that’s doing something much more nefarious.”
The ensemble cast is rounded out by Mark Paguio and Tess Haubrich.
Lead star Hemsworth also serves as a producer, alongside Reese, Wernick, Eric Newman, Geneva Wasserman, Oren Katzeff, and Tommy Harper.
Hemsworth’s comedy chops are also on full display in Taika Waititi’s “Thor: Love and Thunder,” the latest MCU installment in theaters July 8. And, after making Netflix history with the action film “Extraction,” Hemsworth teams back up with Marvel writer-director Joe Russo for “Extraction 2.” The “Thor” star additionally will act opposite Anya Taylor-Joy in George Miller’s highly anticipated “Mad Max” prequel “Furiosa” which is slated for a 2024 release and is filmed in Hemsworth’s native Australia.
Hemsworth also reportedly is set to portray WWE champion Hulk Hogan in a yet-untitled biopic from writers John Pollono and Scott Silver.
“Spiderhead” premieres on Netflix June 17.
Check out the trailer below.
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