Row K has finalized the release dates for Dead Man’s Wire, the latest film from Academy Award®-nominated director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk). Following its festival run, the film currently boasts a stellar 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Based on a True Story
Written by Austin Kolodney, the film recounts the stranger-than-fiction true story of a kidnapping involving a prominent banker. The narrative examines how the media frenzy transformed the abductor into an unlikely outlaw folk hero. This blurs the lines of justice in a spectacle of desperation.
The story is set in Indianapolis in 1977. Resident Tony Kiritsis kidnapped mortgage broker Richard O. Hall over a real estate dispute. Kiritsis wired a shotgun to Hall’s neck—creating a “dead man’s line” that would fire if the weapon dropped—and held him hostage for 63 hours. The standoff became a major media spectacle as Kiritsis used the spotlight to demand public vindication for his financial grievances. The event prompted people to reevaluate how they viewed crime and news coverage.
A Talented Cast
Van Sant has assembled a powerhouse ensemble for the project. Bill Skarsgård, who has brought Pennywise to life in both the IT movies and now in “IT: Welcome to Derry,” stars. Skarsgård is joined by Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino.
Release Dates Positioning the film for awards consideration, Row K will launch Dead Man’s Wire in select theaters on January 9, 2026, followed by its wide release on January 16.
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