Two of Hollywood’s most celebrated talents are teaming up for a gripping new thriller set against the backdrop of New York City. After decades of leading acclaimed film franchises, Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver will share the screen for the first time in Useful Idiots, a tense and stylish story of power, privilege, and peril.
Directed by Joseph Cedar and produced by Fifth Season and Black Bear, Useful Idiots follows Diane Castle (Streep), a veteran journalist who has spent years covering New York’s luxury real estate market. Tired of profiling the city’s ultra-wealthy elite, Castle begins digging into the sale of a record-breaking penthouse—and soon finds herself entangled in a web of corruption, deception, and danger that threatens not only her career but her life.
The screenplay, written by Cedar and Shachar Bar-On, introduces a shadowy oligarch whose far-reaching influence spans Manhattan and beyond, supported by an intricate network of enablers, fixers, and one ambitious young strategist.
Behind the scenes, the film boasts a powerhouse production team. Fifth Season is financing and producing alongside Closer Media’s Zhang Xin, Jonathan King, Bruce Cohen, and William Horberg. Graham Taylor, Christopher Slager, and Dan Guando serve as executive producers. Black Bear will handle international sales at the American Film Market, while CAA Media Finance manages U.S. distribution rights.
Useful Idiots promises to deliver a sophisticated, character-driven thriller anchored by two of cinema’s greatest performers—marking a historic first collaboration between Streep and Weaver.
