The Trial of the Chicago 7

This article is about the 2020 film. For the actual trial, see Chicago Seven § Trial.

The Trial of the Chicago 7
Crowds of protesters outside the Chicago courthouse, with the one of the "Chicago 7" entering the building.
Release poster
Directed byAaron Sorkin
Written byAaron Sorkin
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPhedon Papamichael
Edited byAlan Baumgarten
Music byDaniel Pemberton
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • September 25, 2020 (2020-09-25)
Running time
130 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million[1]
Box office$115,709[2]

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a 2020 American historical legal drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. The film follows the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It features an ensemble cast including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Flaherty, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Noah Robbins, Mark Rylance, Alex Sharp, Ben Shenkman, and Jeremy Strong.

Sorkin wrote the screenplay in 2007, with the intent of Steven Spielberg directing the film and cast mostly unknown actors. After the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike and budget concerns forced Spielberg to drop out as director, Sorkin was announced as director in October 2018, and much of the cast joined the same month, with Spielberg instead serving as executive producer.[3] Filming took place in the fall of 2019 in Chicago and around New Jersey.

Originally planned for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, the distribution rights to the film were sold to Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was released in selected theaters on September 25, 2020, and began streaming digitally on Netflix on October 16. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances (particularly from Baron Cohen), Sorkin's screenplay, the cinematography, the editing and the modern parallels to the 1960s. The film earned six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Baron Cohen. It also received five nominations at the 78th Golden Globe Awards (winning for Best Screenplay), three at the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture), and three at the 74th British Academy Film Awards.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Keegan-Sept2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "The Trial of the Chicago 7". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Ansen, David (July 22, 2020). "First Look at Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.