The Courier (2020 film)

The Courier (also known as Ironbark) is a 2020 historical drama film directed by Dominic Cooke. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, Merab Ninidze, Angus Wright, and Kirill Pirogov.

The Courier
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDominic Cooke
Produced by
  • Adam Ackland
  • Ben Browning
  • Ben Pugh
  • Rory Aitken
Written byTom O’Connor
Starring
Music byAbel Korzeniowski
CinematographySean Bobbitt
Edited byGareth C. Scales
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 24 January 2020 (2020-01-24) (Sundance)
  • 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) (United States)
  • 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) (United Kingdom)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
Country
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

The Courier had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2020, and is scheduled to be released in the United States and United Kingdom on 19 March 2021.

Premise

The Courier tells the "true story of the British businessman who helped the MI6 penetrate the Soviet nuclear programme during the Cold War. Wynne and his Russian source, Oleg Penkovsky (codenamed Ironbark), provided crucial intelligence that ended the Cuban Missile Crisis."[2]

Cast

Production

Development

On 1 May 2018, it was announced that FilmNation Entertainment was producing a film about British spy Greville Wynne from a script by Tom O’Connor. Dominic Cooke was set to direct the film and produce alongside O’Connor, Ben Pugh, Rory Aitken, Adam Ackland, Josh Varney, and Leah Clarke. Production companies involved with the film include SunnyMarch.[2][3][4][5]

Casting

Alongside the initial production announcement, it was confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch had been cast as Greville Wynne.[2] In October 2018, it was announced that Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, Merab Ninidze, Angus Wright, and Kirill Pirogov had joined the cast of the film.[6][7]

Filming

Principal photography for the film commenced on 15 October 2018 and it lasted until 7 December 2018.[8][9]

Release

The film had its world premiere under the title Ironbark at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2020.[10] Shortly after, Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[11] The film, under the new name The Courier, was given an original 28 August 2020 theatrical release in the United States.[12] However, it was delayed to 16 October 2020.[13] It was scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2020.[14] It was delayed again to March 19, 2021.[15]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 82% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10.[16] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]

References
  1. "Ironbark". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  2. Wiseman, Andreas (3 May 2018). "Benedict Cumberbatch To Star As Cold War Spy Greville Wynne In FilmNation Thriller 'Ironbark' — Hot Cannes Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  3. McNary, Dave (3 May 2018). "Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Cold War Spy in Thriller 'Ironbark'". Variety. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  4. Ritman, Alex (3 May 2018). "Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Cold War Spy in FilmNation's 'Ironbark'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  5. White, James (3 May 2018). "Benedict Cumberbatch Playing A Spy In Ironbark". Empire. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  6. N'Duka, Amanda (8 October 2018). "'Mrs. Maisel' Star Rachel Brosnahan Joins Benedict Cumberbatch In 'Ironbark'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  7. Grater, Tom (11 October 2018). "Jessie Buckley joins Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan in 'Ironbark' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  8. "Film and Television Industry Alliance - Production List: Ironbark". Production List. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  9. Cook, Laurence (16 October 2018). "Week in Review: Sky Takes 'Bold Step' With Major U.K. Drama Investment + More Industry News". Backstage. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  10. Siegel, Tatiana (4 December 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  11. Fleming Jr, Mike (27 January 2020). "Lionsgate Closing U.S. Deal On Benedict Cumberbatch Cold War Thriller 'Ironbark:' Sundance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  12. "Benedict Cumberbatch's 'The Courier' Lands August Release in Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  13. Wilmore, Allison; Ebri, Bilge (August 31, 2020). "38 Movies We're Excited to See This Fall West Side Story, Dune, Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan in a seaside Romance. Will the movies come through?". Vulture. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  14. "The Courier". Launching Films. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  15. Booth, Ned (January 27, 2021). "'The Courier' Trailer: Benedict Cumberbatch & Rachel Brosnahan Star In A Spy Thriller Coming In March". The Playlist. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  16. "The Courier (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  17. "The Courier (2021) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
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