Oscar Dark Horse About 1972 Munich Olympics Unveils Trailer

Paramount Pictures has unveiled the trailer for September 5, a gripping drama that many industry experts are keeping a close eye on for the 2025 Oscars.

This intense film narrates the harrowing events of the terrorist attacks that took place during the 1972 Munich Olympics, viewed through the lens of the ABC Sports crew broadcasting the games. The Palestinian terrorist organization known as Black September stormed the Olympic Village, taking several Israeli athletes hostage. “There’s a hostage situation happening right now in the Olympic Village,” states Geoff Mason, portrayed by John Magaro, who is a producer at ABC Sports.

Amid the studio’s location crisis, ABC Sports shifts its focus from the Olympic games to providing updates on the dire hostage situation. An estimated 1 billion people tuned in to witness this global broadcast. Despite the soaring viewership, Geoff and his colleagues face profound moral and ethical challenges in their coverage, including the possibility of broadcasting the terrorists executing hostages live.

“This is our story, and we’re holding onto it,” asserts Peter Sarsgaard’s character, Roone Arledge, the iconic ABC executive.

Alongside Magaro and Sarsgaard, the ensemble cast of September 5 features Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Zinedine Soualem, Georgina Rich, Corey Johnson, Marcus Rutherford, Daniel Adeosun, Benjamin Walker, and Ferdinand Dörfler.

The film is directed by Swiss filmmaker Tim Fehlbaum, known for his work on Hell (2011) and Tides (2021). Fehlbaum collaborated with Moritz Binder and Alex David to co-write the script.

September 5 had its premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, where it received an enthusiastic reception. The film is positioned as a potential dark horse in the race for Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars; The Hollywood Reporter currently ranks it as the top contender in its Best Picture prediction list.

The film is set to release in select theaters on November 29, 2024, before expanding to wider audiences on December 13, 2024.