Tom Holland is currently winning rave reviews for his performance in Netflix’s dark thriller The Devil All the Time, showcasing new sides of his talent in a role that’s a million miles away from the youthful exuberance that characterizes his tenure as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Peter Parker. The 24 year-old is clearly looking to establish a reputation as a versatile actor that doesn’t need a major franchise in order to succeed, and his next effort looks to cement the transition.
Cherry is a true-life story that also marks the first film from the Russo brothers since their four-movie stint as part of the MCU culminated in the single highest-grossing pic of all time. The story follows Nico Walker, an Iraq War veteran suffering from PTSD and an opioid addiction who turns to bank robbery in order to fund his habit.
The sibling duo have said that Holland’s performance is worthy of Academy Award consideration, and it looks like their claims will be put to the test now that Apple TV+ have picked up the rights to Cherry and will release it early next year, making it eligible for the 2021 ceremony. The upstart streaming service hasn’t been making many waves, as the highest-profile release to date was Tom Hanks’ World War II drama Greyhound, and even the leading man wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it bypassing theaters. Now, however, they’re looking to change things.
As well as a challenging role for Tom Holland, Cherry also marks a big test of the Russo brothers’ credentials as they try to escape from the shadow of the MCU. They haven’t directed anything that didn’t involve spandex since 2006’s You, Me and Dupree, and Apple will be hoping their latest lives up to the hype after shelling out a reported $50 million for the privilege of premiering it.