Get ready to add a gritty new historical thriller to your fall watchlist. Paramount has officially acquired the U.S. rights to By Any Means, a highly anticipated 1960s crime drama starring Emmy Award winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg.
Directed by Elegance Bratton (The Inspection), the film is officially slated to hit theaters on September 4.
Set against the racially charged backdrop of 1966 Mississippi and loosely inspired by true events, By Any Means follows a young, driven Black FBI agent (Abdul-Mateen II) who is forced into a volatile and unlikely alliance with a hardened mafia hitman (Wahlberg).
Together, the two must track down the individuals responsible for the brutal murders of prominent civil rights leaders. As they dig deeper, the duo uncovers a massive conspiracy that tests the very limits of justice, loyalty, and their own survival.
For Bratton, the film offers an opportunity to look at history through a complex, unflinching lens.
“This is a story about unlikely alliances forged under impossible circumstances—where justice is not clean, and the truth comes at a cost,” Bratton shared in a statement regarding the film. “I wanted to explore what it means to confront violence not just as an act, but as a system—and what it demands of those caught inside it.”
The script was penned by Sascha Penn (Power Book III: Raising Kanan), ensuring the dialogue and pacing will be just as sharp as the premise.
The film’s supporting cast features Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, David Strathairn, Josh Lucas, and Ethan Embry.
Mark your calendars for September 4th!
