Movie fans await new Russell Crowe release

It looks as though Hollywood A-Lister Russell Crowe has an ace up his sleeve as his new film, Poker Face, is powering up to hit our screens later this year, and thankfully there’s not a sign of Lady Gaga anywhere. Phew!

In the entertainment business, it’s been a while since Hollywood, or anywhere else, has produced a half decent poker movie, and with flicks such as Rounders and Molly’s Game taking gambling films to the next level, they’ve got their work cut out.

However, this new Russell Crowe film project sounds less like your conventional poker movie and more of a thriller-with-a-bit-of-action-thrown-in-for-good-measure-genre with poker as more of a plot point or backstory. But hey, at least it’s got ‘poker’ in the title, right?

Poker Face marks the second directorial outing for Gladiator star Russell Crowe after his 2015 debut, The Water Diviner, won the Australian Academy award for best film.

Crowe plays Jake, a tech millionaire gambler who invites his old pals to his Miami house for what develops into a high-stakes game of poker, giving his closest childhood friends the shot to win more cash than they have ever dreamed of. The movie also stars Liam Hemsworth and American rapper RZA.

As with many movies with a loose revenge theme thrown in, these friends have a love-hate relationship with Jake. He is an expert game-player/planner who has conjured up a somewhat elaborate plan designed to bring a certain justice to all of them in exchange for giving up the secrets they have spent their entire lives protecting and learning the true nature of what is really at stake.

It wouldn’t be a Hollywood blockbuster without a plotline twist. Jake is forced to reconsider his original approach when his Miami estate is besieged by a dangerous home intruder whose previous contracts have all resulted in murder and arson.

Although an official trailer hasn’t been released yet, Poker Face looks like it will be a suspenseful, high-octane thriller that centres around gambling and poker in particular. The film also features a pretty awesome, loud, rollicking, high-speed car chase in and around Sydney’s Harbour Tunnel.

The big-budget action-thriller flick was put on pause last year after a number of crew members tested positive for Covid, yet filming has now continued in Crowe’s home country of Australia in Sydney, New South Wales and also Fox Studios, and it looks like it will finally be ready for release later on this year, as long as there aren’t any more disasters.

Whether you are a seasoned poker player or have never played a card game for money in your life, there seems to be a healthy following for any movie that is centred around gambling, which means Poker Face 2022 is set to be a sure-fire hit.

The film should be easy enough for non-poker players to understand, but you can always read up on poker terminology before watching it.

The much-anticipated release of Poker Face is definitely on the proverbial horizon. It looks like it will launch in the UK as a Sky Original, coming to Sky Cinema in December 2022.

If you are lucky enough to live in one of the beautiful Welsh towns or cities in the UK, then, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like you will be able to see the movie at the cinema. Like a lot of big-budget films these days, it is being released straight to the small screen – you’ll be able to watch Poker Face 2022 when it is released on Sky later in the year.

Summary

Russell Crowe has come a long way since appearing in Neighbours in 1987 in four episodes as ex-con Kenny Larkin.

The much sought-after actor and director has gone on to star in some iconic and epic roles, including that of Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 box-office smash Gladiator and as American Nobel Prize winner, John Nash in the incredible, thought-provoking 2001 movie, A Beautiful Mind, alongside fellow actor, Jennifer Connelly.

Considering his directorial debut was such a smash, we are expecting great things from Poker Face 2022 when it is eventually released. Let’s just hope there are no more hold-ups, and we can finally get to see what all the hype is about.

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Image credit: Destination Poker 2018 (43837490484).jpg – Wikimedia Commons