Emma Watson works to uncover the many mysteries lurking beneath a digital utopia in our first look at The Circle, an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ bestseller that takes the seemingly innocuous notion of information sharing and engineers a tense and timely thriller.
Opening in Silicon Valley, The Circle introduces us to Watson’s Mae Holland, an ambitious tech graduate who lands the job of a lifetime at the titular industry giant. Headed up by visionary expert Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks), here we see the Steve Jobs-esque tech mogul wax lyrical about the inherent power of sharing any and every experience – not just with friends and family, but with the entire world. In an era of information overload, The Circle presents a premise that we can all relate to on some level, but as the trailer above unfolds, we get a sense that James Ponsoldt’s adaptation is housing an Orwellian twist regarding privacy and tech overreach.
Unveiled via USA Today, the outlet spoke to Ponsoldt about the character of Eamon Bailey and, in particular, his slightly warped outlook on the digital landscape.
“Bailey’s notion is that knowing is good, and knowing everything is better. He believes all experiences should be available to everyone, not only the privileged or people who can afford to them. He’s deeply interested in technology that can make people share all human experiences with everyone. He’s a boundary pusher, even boundary destroyer.”
Though it failed to make the cut for this year’s festival circuit, excitement for The Circle remains palpable. Tom Hanks and Emma Watson are arguably two of the biggest draws in Hollywood, and when you toss in the addition of Ellar Coltrane, Karen Gillan and The Force Awakens breakout John Boyega, this is an intellectual tech thriller that ought to be on your radar.
James Ponsoldt will invite moviegoers into The Circle on April 28, 2017.
Hanks plays the founder of the world’s largest tech and social media company. He encourages Watson’s character, who’s rising through the company ranks, to live her life with complete transparency — but no one is really safe when everyone is watching. The novel turns into a contemporary thriller about the perils of life in a digital age where personal data is collected, sifted and monetized and used for surveillance, rendering privacy obsolete.
