The Power of the Dog: release date, cast and trailer for Jane Campion's Netflix Western
Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst star in the adaptation of Thomas Savage's 1967 Western novel.
It's been more than a decade since Jane Campion last had a film out, but the Oscar-winning director has made a comeback and then some with her new movie The Power of the Dog.
Boasting masterful direction from Campion, stunning performances from the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst, and a terrific score from Jonny Greenwood, it's a film that seems certain to garner all sorts of award nominations when the time comes.
The Western drama is adapted from Thomas Savage's acclaimed 1967 novel of the same name and makes its way to Netflix this week following a short theatrical run.
And before the release, Kirsten Dunst spoke to RadioTimes.com about how Campion had made some changes to the source novel, especially to her character Jane.
Read on for everything you need to know about The Power of the Dog.
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The Power of the Dog Netflix release date
The film will debut on Netflix on Wednesday 1st December 2021.
It was previously given a limited theatrical run from Friday 19th November, having debuted at the Venice Film Festival in September and played at the London Film Festival a month later.
The Power of the Dog plot
Set in the 1920s, the film follows two brothers, Phil and George Burbank, who own a cattle ranch together in Montana and have slept in the same bedroom together for 40 years. While the mercurial, occasionally cruel Phil is a master of statesmanship and rhetoric, George is his opposite, quiet and loyal.
Phil is also a bully and homophobe, and when George secretly marries Rose, a widow who has an effeminate, "sissy" son, an outraged Phil plots revenge against mother and son...
The Power of the Dog cast
Benedict Cumberbatch leads the cast as Phil Burbank, while Jesse Plemons (I’m Thinking of Ending Things) stars as his brother George and Kirsten Dunst, in her first film role for four years, plays Rose – who was originally set to be played by Elisabeth Moss.
The cast also includes Kodi Smit-McPhee (Dark Phoenix) as Rose's son Peter, Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as Lola and Keith Carradine (Dexter) as Governor Edward.
Who is Jane Campion?
Hailing from New Zealand, Jane Campion was until recently the only female filmmaker to ever receive the Palme d’Or (the highest prize awarded at Cannes Film festival) – until Titane director Julia Ducournau won the award this year.
She also won an Oscar for The Piano, which she wrote and directed and which follows a mute piano player who attempts to regain her piano after it’s sold.
Campion hasn’t helmed a feature film since Bright Star (2009), which starred Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal) as the poet John Keats, but she was behind the acclaimed TV drama Top of the Lake.
And if you liked The Power of the Dog, two of her earlier films, The Piano and An Angel at My Table, are also currently streaming on Netflix.
The Power of the Dog trailer
You can check out a trailer for the film below – which introduces most of the key characters and features some excerpts from Jonny Greenwood's terrific score.
The Power of the Dog is streaming on Netflix from Wednesday 1st December 2021. Looking for something to watch on telly this evening? We’ve got you covered. Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Movies hub for the latest film news and recommendations.
