Netflix have shared the trailer for Richard Linklater’s next feature Hit Man, which marks the filmmaker’s return to live-action for the first time since 2019.
Animated coming-of-age dramedy Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood was the director’s last release in 2022. There are still several months to go until Hit Man comes to Netflix on June 7th, despite the film premiering last September at the Venice Film Festival.
Adapted from a Texas Monthly article of the same name by Skip Hollandsworth, with Linklater co-writing the screenplay alongside star and producer Glen Powell, the upcoming feature marks something of a departure for the five-time Academy Award nominee, genre-wise.
Partially inspired by a true story, Powell leads the cast as a professor who poses as a hired killer, only to end up falling for a prospective client, played by Adria Arjona and embark on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
Following a positive screening of Hit Man at the Toronto International Film Festival, Netflix stepped in to acquire the distribution rights for $20million. The deal was the most lucrative deal from the entirety of the festival circuit in 2023.
The first trailer has now landed, and it leans into the charm and charisma of Powell, an actor that’s been firmly on the rise following the recent success of the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick and the recent rom-com Anyone But You.
Leaning into the romantic elements of the story and outlining the unusual premise, Hit Man has the potential to be a substantial hit for the streaming service when it premieres.
Watch the teaser trailer below.
