It was recently announced that Netflix acquired the film Pain Hustlers in one of the largest deals at the Cannes market, coming in at a whopping $50 million. Netflix has been working overtime to build up its Netflix Originals sector of the service, and it seems that this deal only cements that notion. Their original content is produced, co-produced, or distributed by Netflix exclusively and is funded differently than other TV networks. The backing is provided upfront at Netflix, and most series are immediately ordered for two seasons.

Over the years, though, the original content on Netflix has ballooned to a “level unmatched by any television networks and streaming services.” According to an article in Variety, Netflix has a total budget allocated to original productions, which is increased annually. In 2021, it reached $13.6 billion and was projected to hit $18.9 billion by 2025, overshadowing any of its streaming competitors. So, needless to say, Netflix seems to know what they’re doing in the original content department.

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So what is going on with their upcoming drama Pain Hustlers? Here is what we know so far.

Pain Hustlers: The Plot

     Netflix

Although the details are scarce, Deadline reported that the plot of the film:

Pain Hustlers is loosely based on the 2018 New York Times article of the same name.

Pain Hustlers: The Crew

     Warner Bros. Pictures

In the small amount of recent information about the film, David Yates was announced as the project’s director. Yates is an English film director, producer and writer who has helmed features, shorts, and television productions. Many will instantly know Yates’ name from his time as director of the later four films in the Harry Potter series. According to Yates, doing the films “was too good of an opportunity to pass up…they asked me to stay, and I said yes. And they asked me to stay and I said yes again…I didn’t want to be the bloke who made the two in the middle.”

Yates has also won multiple awards including BAFTAs (British Academy Film and Television Awards), Saturn Awards and being nominated for an Emmy Award for The Girl in the Cafe (2005). The director is also fresh off the premiere of his third Fantastic Beasts film, a spin-off franchise of the Harry Potter franchise. He also is producing the movie with his wife, Yvonne Walcott Yates, under their production company Wychwood Pictures.

They will be joined in their producing efforts by Lawrence Grey, a Canadian-American film and television producer known for his company Grey Matter (Lights Out, 2016). Lewis Taylor (Mash, 2018) and Ben Everard (Yes Day, 2021) will serve as executive producers, and Cyrus Mojibi (Lights Out, 2016), Patrick Wade (The Laundromat, 2019), Lawrence Kao (Yes Day, 2021) and Lloyd Everard (Yes Day, 2021) as co-producers.

Pain Hustlers: The Cast

     Lionsgate

It was first announced that Emily Blunt would be headlining the film as its title character. Blunt is a British actress who has received several awards for her endeavors, including a Golden Globe Award for her part in Gideon’s Daughter (2006), a Screen Actors Guild Award for Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and a Critics Choice Movie Award, also for Edge of Tomorrow. She recently has gained much praise for her role in A Quiet Place (2018) and A Quiet Place Part II (2021). Both films were a joint effort by her and her husband, actor John Krasinski.

Chris Evans is also confirmed for the project. Evans is an American actor who began his career in television shows like Opposite Sex (2000). HIs career began to gain speed when he performed as the Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). From there, the actor made a name for himself as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is also appearing in the Netflix Original The Gray Man (2022) alongside Ryan Gosling (First Man, 2018) and Ana de Armas (Deep Water, 2022). That is set to release on July 15, 2022.

Release Date

Pain Hustlers will begin production in August of this year. However, there is no confirmed release date as of yet. Considering that the film is only in the early stages of development, viewers can probably expect a release in 2023 at the earliest. It has been described as having a tone similar to The Big Short (2015), American Hustle (2013), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).