Clint Eastwood is one of the most well-known actor/directors still working today. Over his 60+-year career, Eastwood has been both behind and in front of the camera in dozens of films. What's even more impressive is that he continues to put out films even well into his 90s. Eastwood's latest flick, Juror #2, was released in October 2024 to positive critical reviews but less-than-ideal box office returns. To be fair, the movie had an extremely limited (as in less than 50 theaters) release.
This strategy seems unusual for a filmmaker of Eastwood's caliber, especially when you consider that Juror #2 may be the Western star's final directorial outing. Nothing's been confirmed yet, but Eastwood is 94 years old. Time's not exactly on his side. Couple that with lengthy Hollywood production timelines, and it's entirely possible that Eastwood is hanging up his cowboy hat after this.
After its disappointing theatrical run, Juror #2 is available to stream on Max. The streaming boom of the last few years has given many theatrical underperformers a second life, and Juror #2 absolutely deserves the same result. If nothing else, it could be the last time Clint Eastwood directs a film.
The Plot and Reception of 'Juror #2'
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4 /5 Juror #2
Release Date October 30, 2024 Runtime 114 Minutes Cast Nicholas Hoult , Toni Collette , J.K. Simmons , Kiefer Sutherland , Zoey Deutch , Gabriel Basso , Chris Messina , Francesca Eastwood Main Genre Drama
It's now been over 50 years since Eastwood made his directorial debut with 1971's Play Misty for Me. Juror #2 marks the iconic star's 40th directed feature. Not a bad time to call it quits if that's really the case. It stars Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp, a journalist selected for jury duty as part of a highly publicized murder trial. However, the recovering alcoholic Kemp begins to suspect that he may have had a connection to the victim. As the film unfolds, evidence pointing to Kemp's increased involvement in the death begins to mount. He struggles with the weight of his actions influencing the jury and potentially convicting the wrong person.
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In addition to Hoult, the film also stars Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Cedric Yarbrough, Leslie Bibb, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, and Kiefer Sutherland. Juror #2 first premiered at the AFI Fest on October 27, 2024, with a limited theatrical release the following Friday. Critics acclaimed Juror #2, and it sits at an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film's subversion of courtroom drama clichés, as well as its view that justice doesn't always prevail, were noted as highlights. Many also agreed that the film succeeded because it dialed back spectacle in favor of the human element and a more relaxed environment.
Why the Messy Release Strategy for 'Juror #2?' Close
The film's release strategy was almost immediately subject to questions. Warner Bros. initially intended it to be a straight-to-streaming release, already an odd choice given Eastwood's star power. However, they relented and gave it a limited theatrical bow on November 1. How limited? The film opened at 35 theaters. This run was just enough to qualify for the awards circuit, with no plans for wider release beyond that. Warner Bros. chose not to report box office numbers, likely to save face after opening at just a few dozen locations. However, it netted approximately $260k over its opening weekend.
Still, why wasn't Eastwood's possibly final film given a better treatment? He's a proven hitmaker, with 2014's American Sniper netting Warner Bros. almost $550 million. But as with almost every decision in the industry, it's all about the money. The theatrical market has changed rapidly in the last few years, with the number of surefire hits at an all-time low. Yes, audiences have returned after the COVID shutdowns, but they're not seeing just any film.
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Nowadays, the best chances of success lie with Disney, Marvel, and sequels. And Marvel means only MCU (looking at you, Kraven the Hunter). This isn't a statement one way or another on the quality of today's films; it's just that audiences aren't as willing to take a chance on an unfamiliar title. Take Moana 2, for example. That's a name that audiences recognize and can take the whole family to see. But a gritty adult courtroom drama has less broad appeal. Viewers are more likely to watch it on streaming from the comfort of their homes versus going out and buying a movie ticket.
In that sense, a straight-to-streaming release does make sense. But many still consider theaters to be the gold standard. That is, a theatrical movie is inherently more prestigious than something pushed to a streamer. Fans of Clint Eastwood would certainly want to see his maybe-last movie get a big-time theatrical release and rake in millions of dollars. But that's just not the reality of the market today. Anything not connected to an established property has a much harder time getting people into theaters.
But we've seen theatrical flops turn into streaming successes. It happened in the early days of COVID, as well as with recent titles like Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning and Disney's Strange World and Elemental. Juror #2 looks to replicate that success with a home release in the typically lucrative holiday season. If it does well, it could be the swan song that Eastwood's career deserves. Juror #2 is streaming on Max.