Peter Sarsgaard in “September 5.”
September 5—a historical drama about the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis that is up for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar—is coming to digital streaming this week.
Rated R, September 5 opened in theaters in limited release on Dec. 13 and expanded into more theaters but remained in limited release on Jan. 17. The summary for the film partially reads, “September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today.
“Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows the ABC Sports broadcasting team who quickly shifted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides an important perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by millions of people at the time.”
September 5 stars an ensemble cast who play several pivotal ABC Sports and ABC News personnel during the event, including Peter Sarsgaard as Roone Arledge, Ben Chaplin as Marvin Bader, John Magaro as Geoffrey Mason and Benjamin Walker as Peter Jennings. ABC Sports broadcasting icon Jim McKay also appears in archive footage from the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics as the hostage crisis unfolds.
According to When to Stream, September 5 is expected to debut on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, Feb. 4. While When to Stream is typically accurate with its PVOD reports, the streaming tracker noted that the film’s studio Paramount Pictures did not announce or confirm the release date and it is subject to change.
When September 5 arrives on PVOD, it will available for purchase or rental on such digital platforms as Prime Video, AppleTV and Fandango at Home for $24.99. Since digital rental prices are typically $5 less than purchase prices, viewers can expect to rent September 5 for a 48-hour period for $19.99.
How Was ‘September 5’ Received By Audiences And Critics?
According to The Numbers, September 5 has earned $2.2 million domestically and $240,000 internationally for a worldwide box office tally of more than $2.4 million to date. Information about the production budget for September 5 is not available.
Rotten Tomatoes critics gave September 5 a 92% “fresh” rating based on 146 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, “Capturing the compromises, dedication, and human fallibility of the newsroom, September 5 is a worthy chronicle of a tragic flashpoint in broadcast media history.”
Meanwhile, audiences gave September 5 a 90% “fresh” score on RT’s Popcornmeter based on 250-plus verified user ratings.
Directed and co-written by Tim Fehlbaum, September 5 recently earned a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination for Moritz Binder, Alex David and Fehlbaum.
In addition, the film has earned a Best Original Screenplay nomination from the Critics Choice Awards and was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama by the Golden Globes.
The Producers Guild Awards also nominated September 5 as one of its 10 nominees for its Best Picture honor, the Darryl F. Zanuck Award. The award honors the producer or producers of the winning film.
September 5 is expected to arrive on PVOD on Tuesday.
