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Image Courtesy: Collider
Before 24-hour news cycles and livestreamed crises became the norm, one man forced the entire nation to watch. 'Dead Man's Wire,' directed by Gus Van Sant, revisits the astonishing real-life case of a man who wired a shotgun to his own neck and held a hostage in full view of the media.
The film turns this unbelievable 1970s event into a tense, human story—one that blends panic, dark humour, and empathy as it follows a man convinced he had been wronged and a country unable to turn away. Starring Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery, the movie aims to capture both the surreal nature of the crime and the tragic reality behind it.
About 'Dead Man's Wire'
The film is inspired by the 1977 Indianapolis standoff involving Tony Kiritsis and mortgage executive Richard Hall—an incident that was once treated as a bizarre televised spectacle. In 'Dead Man's Wire,' the story is reshaped into a grounded, emotionally heavy narrative.
Written by Austin Kolodney and directed by Van Sant, the movie features an ensemble cast including Cary Elwes, Myha'la, and Colman Domingo. As part of Collider's Exclusive Preview event, writer Maggie Lovitt interviewed Kolodney about how the project began, his research process, and why Van Sant was always his top choice to bring the story to the screen.
Who is Tony Kiritsis?
Kolodney first learned about Tony Kiritsis during the pandemic, when he came across a podcast episode that mentioned the hostage case. He explained that he had then found an old online video showing several major moments from the ordeal—Kiritsis marching through the streets, making jokes at police officers, slipping on ice, stealing a police vehicle, and even holding an impromptu press conference in the centre of Indianapolis.
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Image Courtesy: IMDb
Kolodney recalled that the footage left him shocked that no one had adapted the incident into a film before, a realisation that immediately pushed him toward developing the project.
He began pitching the idea to his manager to gauge interest, and eventually wrote the script on spec. To accurately capture the events, Kolodney reached out to Indianapolis historians Alan Berry and Mark Enochs, who provided him with an extensive research archive containing photos, transcripts, and official documents. Kolodney later described the collection as overwhelming in its detail and suggested that an entire series could be built from the era.
Still, he believed the strongest version of the story was a tightly focused, high-intensity narrative reminiscent of classic crime dramas—one that would begin the moment Kiritsis walked into the office with the shotgun and immediately plunge into the hostage crisis.
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Image Courtesy: IMDb
Why Austin Kolodney Chose Director Van Sant For 'Dead Man's Wire'?
From the outset, Kolodney envisioned Gus Van Sant as the director. He felt that Van Sant's long career and ability to blend artistry with broad audience appeal made him particularly suited to the material.
Kolodney compared Van Sant's career path to that of filmmakers known for complex character studies and observed that Van Sant consistently gravitates toward stories about outsiders, media frenzy, and dark humour—elements central to 'Dead Man's Wire.' Films such as 'To Die For' and 'Drugstore Cowboy' reinforced Kolodney's belief that Van Sant understood the tone needed for this story.
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Image Courtesy: IMDb
Kolodney also valued Van Sant's commitment to historical accuracy. He believed that Van Sant would respect the extensive research and preserve the essential truth of the 1977 events while still shaping the film in a way that modern audiences would connect with. As a history enthusiast himself, Kolodney aimed to stay true to the themes and emotional core of the original incident while ensuring the film remained engaging and cinematic.
'Dead Man's Wire' is set to premiere in theatres on 9th January 2026.
