Interview With "The Weight" Director Padraic McKinley

"The Weight" is a 2026 historical drama film directed by Padraic McKinley. It stars Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynggaad Tonnesen, George Burgess, Cameron Brady, Avy Berry, Alec Newman, and Sam Hazeldine. The film tells the story of Samuel Murphy (Hawke), who, in Oregon in 1933, is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy (Crowe) tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through the deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he'll go to see his child again. The film had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and had its international premiere out of competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. It received positive reviews for its performances and action set pieces. McKinley was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from Vertical Entertainment. Thank you, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/jfLU-0V5MYI

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