THE APEX TIMES
Deadline: First Clip Released for Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’ Starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell
The dark crime-dramedy, set in the lead-up to Chile’s 1973 coup, premieres next week at the Venice Film Festival, with Steve Buscemi and others appearing as CIA-linked figures.
A first clip for Martin McDonagh’s anticipated crime-dramedy Wild Horse Nine has been released by Deadline ahead of the film’s next-week premiere at the Venice Film Festival, offering an early look at a plot in which two CIA agents follow orders that quickly put them in danger.
The film stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA agents Chris and Lee. The story is set just before the 1973 Chilean coup, when the agents are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ, a role played by Steve Buscemi, according to Deadline’s report.
Deadline’s clip preview frames the film around the widening consequences of that mission, describing the agents as getting themselves “into trouble” as the assignment unfolds. The report characterizes the project as a dark comedy that mixes espionage work with escalating missteps tied to the historical period.
McDonagh is known for darkly comic crime storytelling, and Wild Horse Nine is being presented as another entry in that vein, with the Venice launch serving as the film’s initial major public viewing window. The clip release is part of the film’s pre-festival rollout as distributors and festivals typically schedule premieres to coincide with major international coverage.
In the reported synopsis, the agents’ movement from mainland Chile to Easter Island makes the mission both geographically isolated and operationally fraught, a setup Deadline links to the film’s core tension. By placing the CIA characters amid events immediately preceding the 1973 coup, the narrative places the agents’ professional decisions in the shadow of a political rupture.
Deadline’s write-up notes the clip is an exclusive preview, meaning it is being used to introduce audiences and festivalgoers to the film’s tone, casting, and premise before full screening. For viewers, the short segment is likely to serve as a first indicator of how McDonagh intends to balance deadpan humor with the stakes of intelligence work.
With Venice serving as the next step, Wild Horse Nine is expected to enter the festival circuit immediately after its launch. The release of the first clip, featuring Malkovich and Rockwell as CIA figures and Buscemi as a bureau chief, sets expectations for an ensemble-driven story built around a high-risk assignment in a politically volatile historical moment.
Why It Matters
- A Venice premiere positions Wild Horse Nine for high-profile international attention during a major festival window, shaping early coverage for the film’s awards and distribution conversations.
- Casting announcements and early clip releases can affect audience expectations and press focus, especially with recognizable leads like Malkovich and Rockwell.
- The film’s historical setting around the pre-coup period in Chile may influence how audiences interpret the tone of its espionage storyline.
- The first clip provides an early read on whether McDonagh is maintaining a balance of dark comedy and danger in an intelligence-mission framework before full festival screenings.
Key Facts
- Deadline published an exclusive first clip for Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine on August 26, 2026.
- Wild Horse Nine is described by Deadline as a dark crime-dramedy set just before the 1973 Chilean coup.
- John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell star as CIA agents Chris and Lee.
- Steve Buscemi plays MJ, the bureau chief who dispatches the agents from Santiago to Easter Island.
- Deadline says the film launches next week at the Venice Film Festival.