Vertical has acquired North American rights to The Weight, the critically acclaimed thriller that made its World Premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. The film marks the directorial debut of Padraic McKinley and will receive a wide theatrical release on September 18, 2026.
The Weight stars five‑time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) and Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe (Nuremberg), alongside a strong ensemble including:
- Julia Jones (Rez Ball)
- Austin Amelio (Fear the Walking Dead)
- Avi Nash (Silo)
- Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen (Borgen)
- Avy Berry (A Quiet Place: Day One)
- Sam Hazeldine (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power)
The film premiered at Sundance to strong reviews and was subsequently showcased at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, further cementing its status as one of the year’s standout festival thrillers.
Synopsis
When Samuel (Hawke) is violently separated from his daughter and thrown into a brutal prison, he’s offered a dangerous deal by Warden Clancy (Crowe): join a risky mission to smuggle gold out of a remote mine with a volatile crew of inmates — and earn his freedom.
But as the group treks deeper into unforgiving wilderness, the greatest threat isn’t the terrain. Greed, betrayal, and simmering violence fracture the crew from within, forcing Samuel into a desperate fight for survival. With danger closing in on all sides, he must risk everything to reunite with his child.