Netflix Buys Joel Coen's Gothic Mystery 'Jack of Spades' for Fall 2027

By Daniel Okafor

Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Joel Coen's gothic mystery "Jack of Spades" and plans a fall 2027 theatrical release before the film reaches streaming. That's the headline. The rest is casting, pedigree and one very long first cut.

The film wrapped in Glasgow late last year, after a sales process that Variety first reported on exclusively in August. Sources told Variety the initial cut ran nearly 150 minutes but "showed immense promise," and that a tighter second version shown in the weeks prior appeared to have hit the sweet spot. A 150-minute cut shown to studios, then a shorter one that landed. That's a familiar rhythm in this business.

Who stars in 'Jack of Spades'?

The ensemble is compact and heavily decorated:

• Olivier Award winner Patsy Ferran ("Darkest Hour," "God's Own Country")
• Golden Globe and Emmy winner Josh O'Connor ("The Crown," "Wake Up Dead Man")
• Golden Globe and Emmy winner Damian Lewis ("Homeland," "Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood")
• Oscar nominee Lesley Manville ("Phantom Thread," "Another Year")

What is the film about?

The story adapts Frances Frederica Montrésor's 1901 novel "The Alien: A Story of Middle Age," with a screenplay by Eleanor Catton, Joel and Ethan Coen and Conor McPherson. It's set in 1880s Scotland, described as a sinister tale of intrigue and betrayal unfolding in the atmospheric Highlands. Catton, it's worth noting, is a Booker Prize-winning novelist, though the source leaves that credential unspoken.

Where does this sit in Coen's career?

"Jack of Spades" marks Coen's second solo directorial outing after "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and his second collaboration with Netflix following "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." That 2018 Western anthology earned three Oscar nominations, including best adapted screenplay.

Coen produces with Robert Graf and Frances McDormand, his wife and frequent collaborator, who last produced with him on "The Tragedy of Macbeth." Between them, the couple holds two best picture Oscars: Coen for "No Country for Old Men" and McDormand for "Nomadland," one of her four Academy Awards. Steven Rales, who won the live-action short Oscar for "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar," produces for Indian Paintbrush. Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin produce for Blueprint Pictures, and Donald MacKinnon executive produces.

Behind the camera, Coen reunites with two longtime artisans: Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel ("Inside Llewyn Davis") and composer Carter Burwell ("Carol," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri").

What does the deal mean for awards season?

The theatrical window positions "Jack of Spades" as a likely awards season player for Netflix in 2028, which has leaned on auteur-driven prestige titles to compete in the Oscar race. A debut at a film festival, as Variety notes, is almost certain. Netflix last took this playbook to the podium with "Buster Scruggs"; the fall 2027 slot suggests it intends to run it again. UTA brokered the sale; Joel and Ethan Coen are represented by UTA and attorney Pat Murphy.

Fall 2027 is a long wait. Gothic mysteries shot in Glasgow, with this cast and this crew, tend to be worth it.