First look: Tom Holland stars in Russo brothers’ Cherry

Staff Writer

Tom Holland and the Russo brothers’ are reteaming for new Apple TV+ film Cherry, and a new clip gives us our first look.

The first film from Anthony and Joe Russo since Avengers: Endgame, it stars Holland as a young Cleveland man who flunks out of college and joins the army after his girlfriend leaves him and moves to Elba, New York. Desperate to keep their relationship alive, they marry before he ships out to Iraq. But as an army medic, he is unprepared for the grisly reality that awaits him. He and Emily try to make their long-distance marriage work, but when he returns from Iraq, his PTSD is profound. Soon he is hooked on heroin, and so is Emily. They attempt a normal life, but with their money drying up, he turns to the one thing he thinks he could be really good at – robbing banks.

Based on the bestselling novel by Nico Walker, the film is co-written by Jessica Goldberg and Angela Russo-Otstot and co-stars Ciara Bravo, Kelli Berglund, Jack Reynor, Forrest Goodluck, Jeff Wahlberg, Michael Gandolfini, Kyle Harvey and Thomas Lennon.

It will be released in US cinemas, coronavirus pandemic allowing, on 26th February, and will be available to stream worldwide on Apple TV+ from 12th March.

Cherry: Apple plucks Russo brothers drama starring Tom Holland

26th September 2020

Apple has plucked the Russo brothers’ Cherry in a major new worldwide deal.

The first film from Anthony and Joe Russo since Avengers: Endgame was always going to attract a lot of attention, but the drama has added star wattage thanks to their casting of Tom Holland in the lead role – hot on the heels of him starring in Netflix’s The Devil All the Time (pictured above).

He plays a young Cleveland man in who just a college freshman when he meets Emily. They share a passion for Edward Albee and ecstasy and fall hard and fast in love. But soon Emily has to move home to Elba, New York, and he flunks out of school and joins the army.

Desperate to keep their relationship alive, they marry before he ships out to Iraq. But as an army medic, he is unprepared for the grisly reality that awaits him. His fellow soldiers smoke; they huff computer duster; they take painkillers; they watch porn. And many of them die. He and Emily try to make their long-distance marriage work, but when he returns from Iraq, his PTSD is profound, and the drugs on the street have changed.

Soon he is hooked on heroin, and so is Emily. They attempt a normal life, but with their money drying up, he turns to the one thing he thinks he could be really good at – robbing banks.

Based on the bestselling novel by Nico Walker, the film is co-written by Jessica Goldberg and Angela Russo-Otstot and co-stars Ciara Bravo, Kelli Berglund, Jack Reynor, Forrest Goodluck, Jeff Wahlberg, Michael Gandolfini, Kyle Harvey and Thomas Lennon.

The result is what Deadline reports to be $40-something million deal for the worldwide rights, giving Apple TV+ not only a high-profile feature for its early 2021 slate, but also a likely awards contender.