Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

'Stranger Things' alum Dacre Montgomery happy 'Dead Man's Wire' plays like a '70s classic

The film portrays the 63-hour 1977 hostage crisis where Tony Kiritsis held a mortgage broker at gunpoint amid economic hardship, highlighting themes of desperation and institutional neglect.

  • On Jan. 16, Dead Man's Wire opens in theaters nationwide, directed by Gus Van Sant and now playing in cinemas.
  • In 1977, the Indianapolis standoff saw Tony Kiritsis hold mortgage broker Richard Hall at gunpoint for 63 hours, rigging a shotgun to a 'dead man's wire' during live prime-time television coverage.
  • Bill Skarsg�rd and Dacre Montgomery lead an ensemble that includes Al Pacino, Cary Elwes and Colman Domingo, with nearly 100 financiers backing 24 production companies, 14 producers and 63 executive producers.
  • Nearly 50 years on, the incident retains local resonance as Gus Van Sant, director, reframes the episode as a drama about desperation while the Pulitzer-winning photo by John H. Blair deepens its news impact.
  • Shot largely in sequence, the production let actors build momentum as Dacre Montgomery used the chronological shooting method to sustain emotional continuity during the 105 minutes runtime.
Insights by Ground AI

12 Articles

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

13 WTHR broke the news in Indianapolis, United States on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal