The first trailer for a new poker movie, titled Dead Money, premiered last week on YouTube. The film, which stars Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Alpha Dog, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), appears to follow the story of a professional poker player who gets caught up in a home game robbery and the fallout that comes with it. Based on the trailer, Hirsch's character finds himself mixed up in a life-or-death situation after stealing back the money that was stolen from him at the home game.
The film's slugline describes: "When a home poker game is robbed by armed men, pro poker player Andy and his girlfriend Chloe get caught in the middle. Now, Andy must play the best poker of his life at the biggest game in town to save his and Chloe's lives."
Dead Money is directed by Luc Walpoth, written by Josh Wilcox, and produced by Samuel Goldwyn Films, Benacus Entertainment, and RNF Productions. The film is currently set for a limited release in theaters, along with a wide release on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, on September 13.
Poker movie renaissance?
While the jury remains undecided on where Dead Money will fall in the pantheon of poker movies, it's possible that the film could enjoy similar success to the cult classic Rounders. In fact, just recently, Matt Damon hinted at the possibility of a sequel to Rounders in an interview on the Rich Eisen Show, and if Dead Money finds the right audience, the demand for poker films could see a resurgence.
Judging from a recent X/Twitter post, Hirsch seems to have connections within the Los Angeles private game scene. The film and television star posted a photograph of him and poker superstar Nik Airball holding up a painting of the latter, created by the former.
Since Rounders, poker-enthusiast filmgoers have been starved for a good story involving the game we all love. Is Dead Money the next must-see film in the poker world? Tune in on September 13 to find out for yourself.
