‘Hypnotic’ First Look: Ben Affleck and Robert Rodriguez’s Thriller to Hold Work-in-Progress SXSW Screening (EXCLUSIVE)

Adam B. Vary
·1 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

One of Austin’s hometown filmmakers is bringing his next movie to SXSW.

Director Robert Rodriguez will screen a work-in-progress cut of his crime thriller “Hypnotic,” starring Ben Affleck, for fans at the SXSW Film Festival in the Texas capital on March 12.

More from Variety

In the film, written by Rodriguez and Max Borenstein (“Godzilla vs. Kong,” HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”), Affleck plays a detective who is investigating a series of inexplicable crimes while searching for his missing daughter, whose disappearance is somehow involved with a secret government program.

The film co-stars Alice Braga, JD Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley and William Fichtner. Along with Rodriguez, Mark Gill, Guy Botham, Lisa Ellzey, Jeff Robinov, John Graham, and Rodriguez’s son Racer Max are serving as producers. Ketchup Entertainment is serving as the U.S. distributor.

Affleck is set to have a busy 2023. He’s starring in his next directorial effort, the fact-based Nike drama “Air,” with Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker and Chris Messina, which opens in April; and he’s set to reprise his performance as Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) in “The Flash” in June and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” in December.

Rodriguez has a long history with SXSW. His production company, Troublemaker Studios, is based in Austin, and in 2019, he premiered his film “Red 11” at the film festival. He’s also set to premiere the next “Spy Kids” movie, “Spy Kids: Armageddon” with Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi, on Netflix.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.