Following its World Premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Vertical has acquired North American rights to “The Weight,” the critically-acclaimed directorial debut of Padraic McKinley. The film stars five-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (“Nuremberg”), Julia Jones (“Rez Ball”), Austin Amelio (“Fear the Walking Dead”), Avi Nash (“Silo”), Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen (“Borgen”), Avy Berry (“A Quiet Place: Day One”), and Sam Hazeldine (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”). Vertical is slating the film for a wide theatrical release on September 18, 2026.

When Samuel (Hawke) is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal prison, Warden Clancy (Crowe) offers a high-stakes proposition: smuggle gold out of a remote mine with a dangerous crew of prisoners and he’ll win his freedom. But as the group journeys into the unforgiving wilderness, the real threat isn’t the terrain – it’s the betrayal and violence festering within their ranks. Surrounded by greed, suspicion, and danger, Samuel must risk everything to reunite with his child.

The film’s screenplay was written by Matthew Chapman (“Runaway Jury”) and Shelby Gaines (“Wildcat”), with story by Matthew Booi (“Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan”) and Leo Scherman (“Trench 11”). “The Weight” had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, followed by a presentation at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.

“’The Weight’ is the result of a truly special collaboration between an exceptional cast, led by Ethan and Russell, and my partners at Fields Entertainment, augenschein, Under the Influence, and Construction Films,” said McKinley. “Seeing the film connect with and energize audiences at Sundance and Berlinale has been incredibly rewarding, and has only amplified my excitement to partner up with Vertical to bring this kind of big-screen, throwback experience to theaters in September.”

“Anchored by powerhouse performances from Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, ‘The Weight’ is a smart, character-driven thriller that captures the tension and sophistication of the great 1970s classics while feeling sharp and contemporary for today’s audiences,” added Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey. “We’re thrilled to once again work with augenschein Filmproduktion and to partner with Padraic, Simon, Ethan, Nathan, and Ryan to bring this elevated story to the big screen.”

The film was produced by Simon Fields, Nathan Fields, Ryan Hawke, alongside Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo for augenschein Filmproduktion and executive produced by Frédéric Fiore, Céline Dornier, Andreas Rübo, Klaus Dohle, Ralf Berchtold, and Peter Block. Co-producers are Veronica Ferres and Leo Scherman. McKinley co-edited the film with Matthew Woolley (“The Good Lord Bird”). Additional below-the-line talent includes director of photography Matteo Cocco (“Hidden Away”), costume designer Esther Walz (“Other People’s Money”), and production designer Cora Pratz (“Islands”), with casting by Cassandra Han (“Samia”) and music by Latham Gaines and Shelby Gaines (“Wildcat”).

CAA Media Finance and WME Independent arranged the film’s financing and co-brokered the deal on behalf of the filmmakers with Jarowey on behalf of Vertical.

About Vertical
Founded in 2012, Vertical has become a leading global independent distributor releasing films across all mediums. In the last 3 years, Vertical has taken a leap within the theatrical space with a commercially focused indie slate. We thrive in a highly competitive landscape against major studios and maintain the ability to stay nimble and ahead of the curve in all aspects of our business. Vertical’s unique combination of full-service marketing and highly effective sales services provides collaborative solutions for filmmakers, as the company leverages exhibitor, platform and creative relationships to maximize revenue streams from all content providers.

Vertical’s current and upcoming slate includes Anaeil Karia’s “Hamlet” starring Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed; Director/co-writer Rupert Wyatt’s “Desert Warrior” starring Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, and Sir Ben Kingsley; Oliver Assayas’ “The Wizard of the Kremlin” starring Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright; Director/writer Luc Besson’s “Dracula” starring Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz and Zoë Bleu; Writer/Director Zak Hilditch’s “We Bury the Dead” starring Daisy Ridley and Brenton Thwaites; Eric Lin’s “Rosemead” which is produced by and stars Lucy Liu; 2025 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Features “Atropia,” written and directed by Hailey Benton Gates and starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner; Brian Kirk’s “Dead of Winter” starring Emma Thompson and Judy Greer; Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard’s “Eden” starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney; Director/writer Kristin Scott Thomas’ “My Mother’s Wedding” starring Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Freida Pinto; Justin Lin’s “Last Days” starring newcomer Sky Yang; “Fight or Flight” directed by James Madigan and starring Josh Hartnett and Katee Sackhoff.

Past Vertical releases include 2024’s SXSW selection “I Don’t Understand You” co-directed/co-written by David Joseph Craig and Brian William Crano and starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells; 2024’s SXSW selection “The Threesome” directed by Chad Hartigan and starring Zoey Deutch; 2024 Tribeca selection “Sacramento” starring Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine penned and directed by Angarano; “Guns Up” directed by Edward Drake and starring Kevin James, Christina Ricci, Luis Guzmán and Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo; “In The Lost Lands” directed by Paul W.S. Anderson based on George R.R. Martin’s short story and starring Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista; TIFF 2024 and Venice International FF 2024 selection “The Order” from director Justin Kurzel and starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan and Jurnee Smollett; TIFF 2023 selection “Lee,” directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Marion Cotillard; director George Nolfi’s sci-fi thriller Elevation starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin; Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster” which stars Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey and had its World Premiere at Sundance 2024; “The Exorcism” directed by Joshua John Miller and starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Chloe Bailey and Sam Worthington; TIFF 2023 selection “Poolman,” written, directed by and starring Chris Pine alongside Danny DeVito and Annette Bening from producers Patty Jenkins and Stacey Sher; 2023 Cannes Selection “Firebrand” from director Karim Aïnouz and starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law; the 2023 Berlin Film Festival Opener “She Came to Me” directed by Rebecca Miller and starring Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway; Phillip Noyce’s “Fast Charlie” starring Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin; 2023 Independent Spirit Award winner “Emily the Criminal” written & directed by John Patton Ford starring Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi; and Damián Szifron’s “To Catch a Killer” starring Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn.