Giancarlo Esposito, George Clooney & Julia Roberts All Set For Thriller, Money Monster

Jodie Foster has started production on her new film as director, the hostage thriller Money Monster. According to Deadline, it's about what happens when a TV financial pundit and stock tip advisor is held at gunpoint, and the captor threatens to kill him if the broadcast is stopped. This means the whole world gets to watch as the stand-off plays out. Clooney is playing the victim; Roberts is the producer of his show - also called Money Monster - and apparently a love interest; now Giancarlo Esposito is joining in as the NYPD lead office in charge of defusing the situation. Also in the cast are Christopher Denham, Caitriona Balfe and Jack O'Connell as the gunman. Without wanting to give too much away, there's a lot in Money Monster that hits a nerve. It's a topical story, and would probably pass for satirical too if it were less about tension and suspense. Hopefully the dialogue doesn't drag the film down - too many speeches about how Wall Street is exploiting us will just flatten our noses. This requires more lightness of touch. Still, it's encouraging to know a big thriller wants to be relevant and has something to say. That's most definitely preferable to the alternative. Money Monster will likely squeak into cinemas around this time next year, though it might just get given a more prestigious, awards-chasing slot later in 2015 if things are shaping up nicely.