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The Weight

Berlinale Special Gala 2026
© Fields Entertainment / augenschein Filmproduktion
Oregon, 1933. Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through the deadly wilderness. How far will Murphy go to see his child again?
Padraic McKinley’s tense, atmospheric Depression-era drama follows a group of desperate convicts on a journey through a physically and morally treacherous backcountry. Set against the stark beauty of the Oregon landscape, The Weight draws on the introspective action cinema of the 1970s to depict a gritty survivalist scenario supported by brothers Latham and Shelby Gaines’ score and Matteo Cocco’s cinematography. Ethan Hawke gives a muscular performance as the film’s reluctant but resourceful hero, while Russell Crowe is quietly menacing as his foil. Julia Jones brings dignity and defiance to her role as Anna, the sole woman in the group.
by Padraic McKinley (Director), Matthew Booi (Screenplay), Shelby Gaines (Screenplay), Matthew Chapman (Screenplay)
with Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash Germany / USA 2026 English 115' Colour European premiere | Debut film

With

  • Ethan Hawke (Samuel Murphy)
  • Russell Crowe (Clancy)
  • Julia Jones (Anna)
  • Austin Amelio (Austin)
  • Avi Nash (Singh)

Crew

Director Padraic McKinley
Screenplay Matthew Booi, Shelby Gaines, Matthew Chapman
Cinematography Matteo Cocco
Editing Matthew Woolley
Music Shelby Gaines
Production Design Cora Pratz
Costumes Esther Walz
Make-Up Heiko Schmidt
Casting Cassandra Han
Producers Simon Fields, Nathan Fields, Ryan Hawke, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo
Co-Producers Veronica Ferres, Leo Scherman

Produced by

Fields Entertainment

Los Angeles, USA

Under the Influence Productions

New York, USA

augenschein Filmproduktion

Köln, Germany

Co-produced by

Construction Filmproduktion

München, Germany

World Sales

WME William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

Los Angeles, USA

Photos

Press Conference

Padraic McKinley

The filmmaker began his career as a music editor working alongside his uncle, the renowned editor William M. Anderson. Today, he is himself one of America’s most influential editors, having worked on 16 feature films and over 200 television episodes. Over time, he has also increasingly taken on directing and producing roles, including on Kingdom, American Gods, Hunters and the Golden Globe-winning series The Loudest Voice. Other projects include The Good Lord Bird, the documentary Fightworld and more recently, Ghosts of Beirut and The Georgetown Project.

Filmography

2025 The Weight

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026