339 Minutes
Angelina Jolie returns as a gangster mother in Sunny
Angelina Jolie is set to lead and produce Sunny, a gritty new crime thriller that casts her as a hardened mother and gangster racing against the clock to save her family. Early reports from Dark Horizon revealed Jolie’s dual role as star and producer on a film being financed by Gramercy Park Media, A Higher Standard and Nickel City Pictures. Production is already underway and the project is shaping up as one of 2026’s most anticipated female-led crime stories.
Directed by Eva Sørhaug, whose TV credits include Tokyo Vice, Yellowjackets and Talamasca: The Secret Order, Sunny promises a tense, intimate tone rather than a glossy action flick. Sørhaug co-conceived the story with screenwriter William D. Frank, who wrote the screenplay. The plot centers on a gangster mother fighting a violent drug trafficker and, after a catastrophic incident, having only hours to plan a permanent escape for herself and her sons. That compressed, real-time urgency suggests a film built on character pressure and moral choices as much as on criminal suspense.
What to expect: raw, immediate tension Sørhaug’s television background hints at a cinematic approach that favors character-driven suspense and moral ambiguity—qualities visible in Tokyo Vice’s meticulous world-building and Yellowjackets’ psychological grit. Compare Sunny to films like Widows for its female-centered criminal stakes, or to the taut survival intensity of Set It Off, but with a Scandinavian director’s eye for atmosphere and slow-burn menace.
Behind the scenes and creative team William D. Frank is credited with the script, with Sørhaug shaping the original idea. Jolie will produce alongside Nathan Klinger, Mark Fasano, and Jeffrey Greenstein. The production companies attached bring solid indie and studio-hybrid experience, and while specific shooting locations remain under wraps, production reports indicate an on-location shoot that aims for realistic, lived-in settings rather than studio gloss.
Industry context and what this means for cinema Sunny arrives amid a strengthening trend of female-led crime dramas that center mothers, survivors, and morally complex women. Hollywood has been leaning into stories that combine genre energy with character depth, and Jolie—whose recent work includes a lauded turn as Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria—seems positioned to anchor a film that is both commercially engaging and performance-driven.
Fan and critical expectations Social media reaction to the announcement has been immediate: fans of Jolie’s physical, committed performances are excited to see her tackle another genre role, while critics are curious to see how Sørhaug adapts her TV sensibilities to a feature film. There’s also cautious interest in whether Sunny will balance visceral thriller beats with the emotional stakes of a mother protecting her children.
A short expert view "Sunny feels like a natural evolution for Jolie—leaner and more brutal than some of her recent prestige parts," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "With Sørhaug directing, expect a film that blends TV-level psychological detail with the scale of cinema. It could be an important entry in the female-led crime canon."
Why this matters Beyond star power, Sunny is notable for its creative pairing: Jolie’s intensity and star cachet combined with Sørhaug’s atmospheric instincts and a script that compresses stakes into a few urgent hours. If successful, the film could join a growing list of crime dramas that foreground mothers and women in survival mode—films that redefine genre expectations while offering actors room for complexity.
Timing and what’s next Filming is currently in progress and while distributors have not confirmed an exact release date, industry sources expect Sunny to reach theaters in late 2026. In the meantime, audiences can look forward to Jolie’s other projects—like Couture, Anxious People, and Doug Liman’s The Initiative—while keeping an eye on set photos and festival plans as they emerge.
Sunny looks poised to be a bruising, emotionally charged thriller: a high-stakes parenthood story disguised as a gangster thriller, and a reminder that the best genre films often tell their largest dramas through the smallest, most urgent moments.
Comments
atomwave
Wow didnt expect Jolie as a gangster mom, this could be intense. Hope they keep it raw and not too glossy. curious if it stays real, tho
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