J.K. Simmons Joins ‘Juror #2’

in Movie

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(Left) J.K. Simmons in Prime Video’s ‘Big Sky.’ Photo: Chuck Hodes. Copyright: Amazon Studios. (Right) Clint Eastwood in ‘The Mule.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Preview:

J.K. Simmons is part of the cast of Clint Eastwood’s latest film.
He’ll be a juror in the legal thriller.
The film has yet to lock down a release date.

Given how fast he works –– even at the age of 93 –– Clint Eastwood is already finished shooting his new movie, ‘Juror #2’. The movie had to shut down production when the actors’ strike hit but geared back up again in early November and is now in the editing stage.

Deadline has learned that J.K. Simmons joined the film and will appear as one of the jurors.

What’s the story of the new movie?

(L to R) Director Clint Eastwood and Andy Garcia on the set of ‘The Mule.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Written by Jonathan Abrams, ‘Juror #2’ will follow a member of the jury of a murder trial who suspects he may have had some part in the victim’s death –– in fact, possibly killed them himself in a vehicular accident –– and is caught in a moral conundrum of whether to use his secret to sway the jury away and protect himself or turn himself in to the justice system he is participating in.

Nicholas Hoult is playing the lead role of the juror, Justin Kemp, with Toni Collette as the district attorney on the case.

Eastwood had reportedly been weighing several scripts and in recent months zeroed in on this film as his likely final project.

Who else is in ‘Juror #2’?

Zoey Deutch star in 'Something From Tiffany's.'

Alongside Hoult, Collette and now Simmons, the film also stars Gabriel Basso (accused), Zoey Deutch (Kemp’s wife), Leslie Bibb (juror), Chris Messina (public defender) and Kiefer Sutherland’s (Kemp’s AA sponsor)

What’s next for Simmons?

(L to R) J.K. Simmons as Walter Boggs and Frank Grillo as Pauly Russo in the action/thriller, ‘One Day as a Lion,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

The actor, who won an Oscar for ‘Whiplash’, might be most recognizable to genre fans as J. Jonah Jameson, the grumpy Daily Bugle editor he played across Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy (and who has popped up since in Jon Watts’ take on the story as an alt-universe variant of Jameson who fronts a web news series).

He has a role in upcoming thriller ‘You Can’t Run Forever’ directed by his wife Michelle Schumacher. And he’ll be seen in action thriller ‘The Union’, starring Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry.

In addition to those projects, he’s playing a swole Santa in the Dwayne Johnson/Chris Evans holiday film ‘Red One’, though that won’t be released until next year’s Christmas season.

When will ‘Juror #2’ be in theaters?

As of right now, ‘Juror #2’ is still awaiting a release date. There is a chance that Warner Bros. will look to release the movie close to awards season next year, touting it as Eastwood’s final film.