Paramount Dates Thriller ‘September 5’ About ’72 Munich Olympic Massacre For Awards Season

Paramount Pictures has set a November 27 limited theatrical release for Tim Felbaum’s thriller September 5 after a great response for the movie out of the Venice and Telluride film festivals.

Staring Peter Sarsgaard, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch and John Magaro , September 5 is described as being akin to Best Picture Oscar winner Argo and follows the ABC Sports TV control booth and the ethical and nail-biting dilemma they faced in covering the first televised act of terrorism when the militant Palestinian group known as Black September took the entire Israeli Olympic team hostage in Munich.

More from Deadline

Swiss-born director Fehlbaum worked off a script he co-wrote with German writer Moritz Binder, in what is a play-by-play scenario from the POV of those watching the tragedy unfold in front of a wall of TV monitors.

Deadline film critic Pete Hammond praised, “September 5 succeeds on every level.” In addition, “The acting across the board is superb, with especially Magaro sensational as a man trying desperately to rise to the occasion against all odds,” wrote Hammond.

RELATED: ‘September 5’ Director Tim Fehlbaum Says Film About 1972 Olympics Massacre Is Not A “Political Statement” On Israel-Gaza — Venice Film Festival

Republic Pictures, Paramount’s acquisition arm, acquired the movie for low-single-digit millions back in July.

Paramount has other contenders in the awards-season mix including the Michael Gracey-directed Robbie Williams musical biopic Better Man, which stands at 86% fresh with Rotten Tomatoes critics after its Telluride and TIFF run. There’s also Transformers One opening this weekend, which could vie in the animation category. Also, let’s not forget Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II on November 22.

RELATED: Toronto Film Festival 2024: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.