Russell Crowe and Ethan Hawke in First Trailer for The Weight

Vertical has released the first trailer for The Weight, a survival thriller that casts Russell Crowe as Warden Clancy and Ethan Hawke as Samuel Murphy. Set in the Oregon wilderness during the depths of the 1933 Great Depression, the film follows an imprisoned father sent on a lethal mission in exchange for early release.

Murphy agrees to lead a group of dangerous prisoners on a 50-mile trek to smuggle gold bars, hoping to reunite with his daughter and avoid losing custody. The trailer highlights harsh weather, backcountry challenges and the constant threat of betrayal within the ragtag crew.

The Weight premiered in the Premieres section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and drew comparisons to 1970s thrillers such as Sorcerer and Deliverance. It earned strong reviews, including a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

russell crowe, ethan hawke, the weight, survival thriller, oregon, great depression, gold bars, sundance, rotten tomatoes, deliverance