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‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’: Release date, plot, cast and everything else about Aaron Sorkin's star-studded movie

Based on a true story, the film will feature the infamous trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and rioting that began on September 24, 1969, in relation to anti-Vietnam War and counterculture protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention

BY PATHIKRIT SANYAL

PUBLISHED NOV 8, 2019

In 1968, in Chicago, Illinois, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner were charged by the U.S. federal government with conspiracy, inciting to riot and other charges related to anti-Vietnam War and counterculture protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

In the trial that followed in 1969, five of the Chicago Seven — as they are famously known now — were convicted for inciting riots. All seven, however, were acquitted of conspiracy.

The story of the Chicago Seven is a milestone in the history of American politics. And now, that story is being turned into a film by none other than Aaron Sorkin. Titled ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, the film, as per Collider, was written by Sorkin years ago.

Originally set to be directed by Steven Spielberg, work on the film stalled and the filmmaker moved on to other projects. As per the same report, it was Spielberg who suggested Sorkin direct the movie himself and Spielberg remains onboard as a producer.

Release date:

‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ will reportedly get a limited release September 25, 2020. The film will officially hit the theaters for the masses October 2, 2020.

Plot:

While no official plot has been released as of yet, the story will likely feature the infamous trial of the seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and rioting, which began September 24, 1969.

The trial extended for months after which Froines and Weiner were acquitted completely and the remaining five were convicted of crossing state lines with the intent to incite a riot. On November 21, 1972, all of the convictions were reversed on the basis that the judge was biased in his refusal to permit defense attorneys to screen prospective jurors for cultural and racial bias.

Cast:

Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark

**Michael Keaton attends the premiere of Disney's "Dumbo" at El Capitan Theatre on March 11, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)**

The American actor, producer and director is best-known for his role as Batman in the Tim Burton adaption. He's also played several critically-acclaimed roles in films like 'Spotlight', 'Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' and 'The Company'.

Sacha Baron Coen as Abbie Hoffman

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)

The 48-year-old British actor, comedian, screenwriter, director and film producer is globally recognized for his wacky characters in mockumentary shows and films. The most famous of those are 'Borat', 'Ali G', 'Bruno' and 'Admiral General Aladeen'.

Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden

Actor Eddie Redmayne attends 'Animales Fantasticos: Los Crimenes De Grindelwald' (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) photocall at the Villamagna Hotel on November 16, 2018, in Madrid, Spain. (Getty Images)

The British actor is best known for his portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking in 'The Theory of Everything', a role that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He's also famous for his roles in the 'Fantastic Beasts' series and 'The Danish Girl'.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz

Joseph Gordon-Levitt attends the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

Gordon-Levitt, who began his career as a child artist, is well-known for his roles in '10 Things I Hate About You', '500 Days of Summer', 'The Dark Knight Rises', 'Inception' and more.

William Hurt as John Mitchell

Actor William Hurt speaks during the 'Moby Dick' panel during the Encore portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 29, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty Images)

The 69-year-old American actor, director, producer and screenwriter, is most famous for his roles in films like 'A History of Violence', 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' and more. He also played the role of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in the 'Avengers' movies.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II attends the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 24, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty Images)

The American actor has starred in films like 'Baywatch' and 'The Greatest Showman'. He played the role of DC villain Black Manta in 'Aquaman'.

Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin

Actor Jeremy Strong attends the MoMA's Contenders Screening of "Molly's Game" at MOMA on November 17, 2017, in New York City. (Getty Images)

The 40-year-old American film, television and stage actor has appeared in many films, like 'Zero Dark Thirty', 'Selma', 'The Big Short' and 'Molly's Game'. He plays the role of Kendall Roy in the HBO series 'Succession'.

Director/Writer:

Aaron Sorkin

Sorkin is an American screenwriter, director, producer and playwright. Perhaps most famous for his White House drama series 'The West Wing', Sorkin has created a number of critically acclaimed TV shows and films such as 'The Newsroom', 'Sports Night', 'The Social Network' and 'Steve Jobs'.

Trailer:

So far, no trailer has been released for the film. Watch this space for more.

If you like ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’, you will also like:

'Spotlight', 'The Newsroom', 'The Social Network', 'When They See Us' and 'Philadelphia'.