Everything We Know About Wild Horse Nine
A new Martin McDonagh film is always exciting- The Banshees of Inisherin and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri director has produced some of the most memorable scripts of recent years and always picks great leads. His newest project, Wild Horse Nine, is set to debut later this year, starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Parker Posey.
The film follows two CIA agents who are dispatched to Easter Island in the mid 70s, and things will get more out of hand than they could imagine when their mission starts going sideways. Here’s everything we know so far.
What is Wild Horse Nine about?
Wild Horse Nine reunites McDonagh with Sam Rockwell, who previously appeared in the director’s films Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards (for which he won an Oscar), while Malkovich stars opposite. Chris (Malkovich) is an ageing CIA officer nearing retirement and the mentor to his protege Lee (Rockwell). Like many of McDonagh’s films, it’s a dark comedy with sharp and witty dialogue. During the early 1970s, and shortly before the 1973 coup in Chile, both officers (who’ve had a hand in fomenting the upcoming revolution) are told they need to head to Easter Island, the island in the Pacific Ocean known for its statues. Chris and Lee are something of an oddball pair, but have been partners at the agency for years, and they’re trusted with the mission by their bureau chief “MJ”, who’s played by Broadwalk Empire star Steve Buscemi.
What the two agents are doing there is yet to be revealed, but what we do know is that they will meet two students (played by Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas), whom Chris, in particular, will form a bond with. However, this newfound friendship with the two of them will unexpectedly turn things upside down. A big part of the film is the surroundings of this remote, idyllic island and the looming statues as events unfold. Soon enough, Chris and Lee’s loyalties start to get tested, and their dark and mysterious pasts threaten to catch up to them. McDonagh also said in an interview with Vanity Fair that the film is darkly political, saying, “A lot of the things it’s talking about we’re dealing with in the present day.”
Who else stars, and is there a release date?
The White Lotus star Parker Posey plays Lee’s wife Marge, while singer-songwriter Tom Waits plays Chris’ brother. The first trailer for the film, showcasing the darkly chaotic vibe, can be watched below; Wild Horse Nine is set to release in in cinemas on 6th November, 2026.
