When it comes to cinema, the folks who are strictly screenwriters don’t typically receive top-billing recognition, at least not among garden-variety moviegoers. The household names tend to be actors and directors, in that order. For years, Aaron Sorkin has been one of the exceptions that prove the rule. He has penned incredible television, from “The West Wing” to “The Newsroom,” and he has penned incredible films, from “A Few Good Men” to “The Social Network.” Come this November, however, Sorkin will no longer be an exception to the rule because he is (finally!) making his directorial debut with STX Entertainment’s “Molly’s Game.”
While Sorkin is jumping behind the camera for the first time, it doesn’t mean he’s left his old gig in the rearview, as he’s still the credited screenwriter for “Molly’s Game.” The drama is based on the memoir of Molly Bloom, the young woman who orchestrated one of the highest stakes poker games ever. Her hush-hush, underground affair attracted celebrities, millionaires, and moguls, to the point where hundreds of millions of dollars were at stake when it all eventually came crashing down.
Jessica Chastain stars as Molly, with Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera joining on in supporting roles. The rest of the cast includes Brian d’Arcy James, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp, Graham Greene, and Jeremy Strong. Here is the official synopsis:
MOLLY’S GAME is the true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.
Given Sorkin’s pedigree — an Oscar, a couple Golden Globes, and a slew of primetime Emmys — “Molly’s Game” figures to be a factor for award contention, which makes its fall release understandable. “Molly’s Game” opens November 22nd.
