Elizabeth Sloane is headed from Capitol Hill to Hollywood. “Miss Sloane,” a thriller centered on a lobbyist who faces off against the gun industry, will make its World Premiere at AFI Fest 2016, Variety reports. Two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain stars in the hotly anticipated film, set to be unveiled at AFI Fest November 11.
According to “Miss Sloane’s” official synopsis, the timely, politically-charged drama tells “the story of a brilliant but ruthless lobbyist (Chastain) who is notorious for her unparalleled talent and her desire to win at all costs, even when it puts her own career at risk.” A tense trailer for the film suggests that Sloane jeopardizes not only her career, but her personal safety to tackle the issue of gun control. “There’s over five million of us, and we’re armed,” she’s warned by the opposing side.
Chastain previously received Academy Award nominations for “The Help” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” and her role in “Miss Sloane” is already getting awards buzz. The Best Actress race is extremely competitive this year, with major contenders including Natalie Portman (“Jackie”), Emma Stone (“La La Land”), Ruth Negga (“Loving”), Amy Adams (“Arrival”), Taraji P. Henson (“Hidden Figures”), Annette Bening (“20th Century Women”), and Isabelle Huppert (“Elle”). Both Bening and Huppert are being honored with tributes at AFI Fest.
“Miss Sloane” hits theaters November 25. The film is directed by John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”) and co-stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Beyond the Lights,” “Belle”), Sam Waterston (“Law & Order”), John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”), and Alison Pill (“The Newsroom”).
AFI Fest runs from November 10 to 17 in Hollywood.