The 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention marks a great event in the history of America. And what better can be than the medium of featured films to make people aware of their past and also grab a space in the pages of the cinematic world. Hence, screenplay writer and director Aaron Sorkin brought us the upcoming American legal drama film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, which follows the Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiracy in late 1969 relating to charges of crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. Originally planned to be released in theaters by Paramount Pictures, the rights to the film were sold to Netflix due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix will release it digitally on October 16, 2020.
Back in 2007, Sorkin wrote the screenplay of the movie, and Steven Spielberg was supposed to be the director, planning to cast the new talents in the industry. But unfortunately, the plan was changed after the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, and due to budget issues, Spielberg stepped back. The filming took place in the fall of 2019 in Chicago and around New Jersey. The Trial of Chicago 7 is very close to Sorkin’s heart because he witnessed the incident when he was a kid and remembers bits and pieces of the horrifying and bloody incident. The picture was nothing different from the 2020 BLM riots. What’s more, was the trial that followed in which the organizers were accused by President Nixon’s Department of Justice of criminal conspiracy and crossing state lines to incite a riot. Even though it is just a movie, but this will definitely bring many memories for a large part of the population.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 stars 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, Jeremy Strong, and the list goes on.