Cherry is the first directorial effort from Anthony and Joe Russo since they turned in Avengers: Endgame, but despite the fact that it stars Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, it couldn’t be more different from that hit Marvel movie in terms of subject matter. Holland appears in the title role as an Iraq War vet suffering from PTSD who turns to bank robbery to pay for his growing opioid addiction, and now we finally have our first look at the pic.
Vanity Fair has shared some exclusive promo images from the film, which releases in cinemas and on streaming early next year. The project has a unique structure, too, with it being described by the Russos as “like six movies in one,” as it covers a 15-year period of Cherry’s life, from his time as a teenager and what led him to join the army to his difficulty adjusting to things again once he returns home.
Several of the six different chapters of the protagonist’s journey are teased in these five images, which also feature Ciara Bravo as Cherry’s girlfriend, Emily. The Russos tell VF that the couple’s love story is “the central spine of the film.”
As you can see from the pics in the gallery above, the project offers Tom Holland like you’ve never seen him before and seems like a movie that’ll feature an even darker, more demanding performance from the star than Netflix’s The Devil All The Time. Joe Russo explained to VF why Holland was cast in a role that’s so much the opposite of his usual type of part and revealed that it was key that the audience empathize with this complex character.
“This is a movie that’s supposed to define the experience of having PTSD, the experience of being addicted to opioids,” Joe added. “And the mission of the film is to generate empathy, not to generate disdain, not to indict. It was critical that you empathize with his struggle and his journey because a lot of people are going through this, and they’re having a very human experience. I think empathy is in incredibly short supply right now in the world. And it’s a tragedy.”
Based on the novel of the same name by Nico Walker, Cherry promises to be a gripping drama made with depth, intelligence and likely a belter of a leading turn by Tom Holland. Catch it in cinemas from February 26th and then on Apple TV+ from March 12th, 2021.