Al Pacino To Star In Hostage Thriller ‘Dead Man’s Wire’, Directed By Gus Van Sant

March 1, 2025: Academy Award-winning actor Al Pacino is set to star in the upcoming hostage thriller Dead Man’s Wire, which will be directed by Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant. The film is based on the gripping real-life events of a hostage situation that occurred on February 8, 1977.

Dead Man’s Wire will focus on the dramatic story of Tony Kiritsis, a 44-year-old man who took Richard O. Hall, the president of Meridian Mortgage Company, hostage. Armed with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun wired to his own neck by a “dead man’s wire,” Kiritsis demanded $5 million, immunity from charges, and a personal apology from the Hall family, claiming they had cheated him out of money he believed was owed to him. This high-stakes standoff garnered worldwide attention at the time, and the events were widely covered by the media.

The screenplay for the film has been written by Austin Kolodney, and the cast boasts an impressive ensemble that includes Bill Skarsgard, Dacre Montgomery, Myha’la, Cary Elwes, and Colman Domingo.

The film will be directed by Gus Van Sant, known for his work on Good Will Hunting and Milk, and marks his first collaboration with Pacino. Pacino, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his iconic role in Scent of a Woman, has most recently been seen in Knox Goes Away and has several upcoming projects, including The Ritual, Killing Castro, Hand of Dante, Billy Knight, and Easy Waltz.

Dead Man’s Wire is being financed by Sipur Studios, Yo Productions, and Wrong Turn Productions, along with other previously announced financiers. The film promises to deliver a tense, high-octane thriller, bringing to life one of the most memorable hostage situations in modern history.