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Wolfs (film)

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Wolfs
Release poster
Directed byJon Watts
Written byJon Watts
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLarkin Seiple
Edited byAndrew Weisblum
Music byTheodore Shapiro
Production
companies
Distributed byApple TV+
Release dates
  • September 1, 2024 (2024-09-01) (Venice)
  • September 20, 2024 (2024-09-20) (United States)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Wolfs is a 2024 American action comedy film written and directed by Jon Watts. The film stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan. Its plot follows two professional fixers who are forced to work together on a job despite their preference to operate as lone wolves.[1][2]

Wolfs premiered out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024 to positive reviews. It had a one-week limited theatrical release starting on September 20, 2024 and was released a week after on Apple TV+, where it became the streaming service's most-viewed film.[3] Apple's decision to pivot the film to streaming despite pre-arranged agreements for a theatrical release led Watts to not move forward with a sequel that had been announced.[4]

Plot

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Margaret, a Manhattan District Attorney, panics after a young man in her hotel room, who she met at the hotel bar, ends up dead. She calls a number given to her for just such an emergency and secures the services of an unnamed professional fixer. He arrives to dispose of the kid who fell through a glass drinks cart while jumping on the bed. They are interrupted by another unnamed fixer sent by the hotel's mysterious owner, Pam, who saw everything via hidden cameras. To protect the hotel's reputation and Margaret's career, the women urge the two men to work together, much to their chagrin.

The fixers initially refuse, but Margaret reminds her man that he is now on the surveillance footage and what she was told about him: "You take a job, you give your word, and that word is the measure of a man." The fixers reluctantly join forces, providing Margaret with an alibi, changing her clothes, and sending her home. They find a large stash of drugs in the kid's bag, which Pam orders them to return to its original owners to avoid further trouble. Margaret's man deftly moves the body to his car using a luggage cart, and the fixers discover the Kid is still alive but overdosing on the drugs.

Knocking the Kid out and stowing him in the trunk, the fixers suspect the drugs belong to a shipment recently stolen from the Albanian mafia. They bring the Kid to June, an underground medical specialist who has a history with them both, but the underwear-clad Kid escapes and leads them on a chase through the city. Catching him and sobering him up with pills from June, the fixers interrogate the Kid at a dingy hotel. He explains that he agreed to deliver the drugs as a favor to his friend Diego but was invited up to Margaret's room and tried the drugs on a whim. The delivery location will be sent to Diego's pager, at a club for the Kid to collect.

At the club, the Kid grabs the pager while the fixers get caught up in a wedding kolo and are recognized by Dimitri, a dangerous Croatian mobster. They save themselves by convincing him they are not working together and depart, but his bodyguard realizes the truth. At a diner, the fixers deduce that drug kingpin Lagrange, Diego's employer, likely stole the Albanians' shipment, and the Kid is being set up. Though the fixers expect the Kid will be killed, they agree to let him make the delivery, and the pager is sent the address for the drop.

The fixers watch as the Kid enters Lagrange's warehouse, which the Albanians soon ambush. The two fixers are then ambushed by Dimitri's bodyguards but shoot their attackers dead and make their way inside, where Lagrange's men and the Albanians have killed each other. The Kid has survived, hiding inside a car trunk, and the fixers prepare to kill him to hide their involvement in the fiasco but have a change of heart at the last second. Accompanying the Kid home on the subway, they threaten his father to keep quiet about the entire incident.

Having breakfast at a diner in Brighton Beach, the fixers have bonded over their many unspoken things in common, from their clothes and guns to their bad backs and reading glasses, but cannot bring themselves to admit it. Margaret's man asks how Pam convinced the other fixer to work with him, and he says that he was told, "You take a job, you give your word, and that word is the measure of a man." Realizing the same person employs them, they unravel the night's events and conclude that their employer orchestrated everything and that they were meant to be eliminated. With hitmen waiting outside, the fixers agree to exchange names if they make it out alive and open fire.

Cast

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Production

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In September 2021, a studio bidding war began for a film package that included Jon Watts as writer and director, with George Clooney and Brad Pitt on board to star and produce via their respective production labels, Smokehouse Pictures and Plan B Entertainment.[6] Wolfs reunites the two actors, who worked on the Ocean's trilogy (2001–2007) and appeared in one scene together in Burn After Reading (2008).[1][7] Apple TV+ acquired the rights to it after winning the bidding war against Amazon MGM Studios, Annapurna Pictures, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Netflix, Sony Pictures (which briefly took over theatrical distribution rights before it was pivoted to limited), Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Pictures.[8] Additional cast members were revealed in 2023.[9][10][11] Principal photography reportedly began in January 2023 in New York City, including the neighborhoods of Harlem and Chinatown.[12][13] Larkin Seiple, who previously shot Watts' Cop Car (2015), was the cinematographer of the approximately 70-day shoot.[14] In August 2024, The New York Times reported that Apple paid Clooney and Pitt more than $35 million to star and Watts more than $15 million to direct the film.[15] Clooney denied this claim, stating, "It is millions and millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported. And I am only saying that because I think it's bad for our industry if that's what people think is the standard bearer for salaries."[16]

Release

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George Clooney at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, in 2024.
Brad Pitt at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, in 2024.
Clooney and Pitt at the film's premiere in Venice

Wolfs debuted on Apple TV+ on September 27, 2024.[17] It was originally set for a wide release in cinemas since Apple acquired it in 2021, Clooney and Pitt having "made the deal to do that movie where we gave money back to make sure that we had a theatrical release."[18] In December 2023, Apple entered another agreement with Sony Pictures Releasing, following their partnership on Napoleon, to distribute the film in cinemas, scheduling it for release in the United States on September 20, 2024.[19][20]

In August 2024, six weeks before its release, Apple announced its decision to pivot from a wide release to a limited theatrical release on the same date.[17][15] The New York Times noted that Sony, who had agreed to distribute the film and split marketing costs with Apple, was set to begin a national marketing campaign during the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, Zack Van Amburg, overseer of Apple's entertainment programming, canceled those plans and the deal with Sony, as Apple executives hoped "to not risk a public disappointment should the movie not succeed at the box office".[15] Clooney said he and Pitt put some of their salary into keeping the limited release, which was then set to be handled solely by Apple.[21]

The film premiered out of competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024. Watts missed the event due to contracting COVID-19.[22]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 175 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "George Clooney and Brad Pitt's professional star power gives Wolfs zip even when it cycles through clichés of the fixer genre, making for a pleasing and slick throwback."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[24]

Canceled sequel

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A month prior to its release, Apple confirmed a sequel was in the works, with Watts, Clooney, and Pitt returning.[17] Of the announcement, Watts said, "Apple's been talking to me about a sequel since I turned in my cut in December [2023]. That's always been an ongoing discussion. I absolutely did not write the movie with a sequel in mind. But it was very fun to make, so I don't know, I think you let the audience decide if they want to see more."[7] In November 2024, Watts announced that he personally decided not to move forward with a sequel as he was displeased with Apple's decision to pivot Wolfs to streaming.[25][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Morrow, Brendan (May 29, 2024). "Wolfs trailer: George Clooney, Brad Pitt reunite for first film together in 16 years". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Echebiri, Makuochi (May 28, 2024). "George Clooney and Brad Pitt Reunite as Hired Killers in Wolfs Trailer". Collider. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  3. ^ Kelley, Aidan (October 2, 2024). "Wolfs Just Shattered a Massive Record For Apple TV+". Collider. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 23, 2024). "Jon Watts Explains Demise Of George Clooney & Brad Pitt Wolfs Sequel After Streaming Pivot: 'Apple Didn't Cancel... I Did, Because I No Longer Trusted Them As A Creative Partner'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  5. ^ Wise, Damon (September 1, 2024). "Wolfs Review: Brad Pitt And George Clooney Face Off As Aging Fixers In Jon Watts' Verbose Action Comedy – Venice Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  6. ^ Kit, Borys (September 24, 2021). "George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jon Watts Movie Package Sends Studios, Streamers Into Bidding War (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Canfield, David (August 21, 2024). "Brad Pitt and George Clooney Wanted Their New Movie in Theaters. Apple Had Other Plans". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  8. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 29, 2021). "Apple Studios Lands Coveted Jon Watts-Directed Thriller To Star George Clooney & Brad Pitt". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  9. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 26, 2023). "Amy Ryan Joins George Clooney And Brad Pitt In New Apple Thriller From Jon Watts". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 1, 2023). "Austin Abrams Joins Brad Pitt And George Clooney In Apple Thriller From Jon Watts". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Cordero, Rosy (February 16, 2023). "Never Have I Ever Star Poorna Jagannathan Joins Brad Pitt & George Clooney In Jon Watts Apple Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "Wolves Production List". Film & Television Industry Alliance. October 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Lazarus Caplan, Anna (January 27, 2023). "Brad Pitt and George Clooney Have N.Y.C. Night Filming Apple Thriller Wolves — See the Pics!". People. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Mulcahey, Matt (June 8, 2023). "'TV Shows are Like Better Funded Independent Films': DP Larkin Seiple on Beef". Filmmaker. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Sperling, Nicole (August 25, 2024). "Apple Rethinks Its Movie Strategy After a String of Misses". The New York Times. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Ford, Lily (September 1, 2024). "George Clooney Denies $35M Wolfs Salaries for Him, Brad Pitt: 'It's Bad If That's What People Think'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 7, 2024). "Apple Original Films Sets Sequel To George Clooney-Brad Pitt Drama Wolfs By Jon Watts As Film Pivots To Limited Theatrical Release Before Apple TV+ Streaming Bow". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  18. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 29, 2023). "George Clooney Q&A: The Boys In The Boat, Matthew Perry Memories, The $150M SAG-AFTRA Offer & Wolfs Sequel With Brad Pitt & Jon Watts". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  19. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 13, 2023). "Sony Wins Global Theatrical Distribution Deal For Apple's George Clooney & Brad Pitt Pic Wolfs & Scarlett Johansson & Channing Tatum's Project Artemis". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 21, 2023). "Sony Dates Apple's Wolfs & Project Artemis For 2024". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  21. ^ Shafer, Ellise; Ritman, Alex; Keslassy, Elsa (September 1, 2024). "George Clooney Says Biden Is 'Most Selfless' President Since George Washington for Dropping Out of Presidential Race Against Trump: 'All the Credit Goes to Him'". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  22. ^ Brzeski, Patrick; Ford, Lily (September 1, 2024). "Wolfs Director Jon Watts to Miss Venice World Premiere After Catching COVID". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  23. ^ "Wolfs". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 15, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  24. ^ "Wolfs". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  25. ^ McPherson, Chris (November 22, 2024). "Wolfs Sequel With George Clooney and Brad Pitt No Longer Going Forward [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
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