‘Josephine’ Trailer: Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan Star as Struggling Parents in Sundance Award-Winning Psychological Thriller
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A first trailer has now been released for "Josephine," the psychological thriller that swept the top two prizes at this year's Sundance Film Festival, confirming a UK/US theatrical release date of 20 November and adding fresh detail on its awards push. Starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan as parents struggling to support their eight-year-old daughter after she witnesses a horrific crime in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the film is written and directed by Beth de Araújo and drawn from her own lived experiences. Distributor Sumerian Pictures, which acquired the film in a competitive seven-figure deal, has now formally committed to an awards campaign.
Newcomer Mason Reeves plays the title character, with the film having already screened in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival and set to appear next month at Toronto. "Josephine" won both Sundance's Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, a double previously achieved by eventual Oscar winner "CODA" and by "Minari". Variety's review from Sundance called it the festival's "standout", praising de Araújo for confronting "the life-shattering intersection of sex and violence in our culture". The film is produced by de Araújo, Tatum, Chan, David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Marina Stabile, Mark H. Rapaport and Crystine Zhang.
- First trailer released; "Josephine" hits cinemas 20 November
- Tatum and Chan play parents after daughter witnesses a crime
- Won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, echoing "CODA"
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Josephine is a psychological thriller starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan as parents of an eight-year-old girl who witnesses a horrific crime in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. It is written and directed by Beth de Araújo, drawing on her own experiences, and features newcomer Mason Reeves as the title character. The film has already made a splash on the festival circuit, screening at Berlin and set to appear at Toronto next month.
Its awards credentials come from Sundance, one of the world's leading festivals for independent film, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award, a rare double previously managed by films including Minari and eventual Oscar winner CODA. That performance led distributor Sumerian Pictures to acquire it in a competitive seven-figure deal and build an awards campaign around it. The film is due for UK and US cinema release on 20 November.
The story matters both as a notable entry in this year's awards conversation and because of its subject matter, which critics have described as confronting the intersection of sex and violence in contemporary culture. Its producing team includes de Araújo, Tatum and Chan alongside several other producers, reflecting the level of industry backing behind the project.
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