It’s easy to forget what a formidable run Edward Norton had after making a splashy (and Oscar-nominated) debut in the legal thriller Primal Fear. He went on to deliver acclaimed performances, crucially, in movies that have stood the test of time; movies such as Fight Club, 25th Hour, and American History X. But Norton’s attempts at mainstream stardom didn’t exactly pan out like he’d have liked. At around the same time as the release of The Incredible Hulk, a movie that survived a tumultuous production, Norton found himself starring in projects like the largely forgotten cop drama Pride and Glory, and the prison drama Stone. The latter was recently released on the Starz streaming service domestically, to the kind of viewership that not even those involved could’ve anticipated.
Of course, Norton has once again started appearing in prestige projects of all shapes and sizes; he balances Wes Anderson’s movies with mainstream hits such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and A Complete Unknown, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. Stone, however, remains a footnote on his resume. But 15 years after its theatrical release, the movie has become the number one hit on the Starz streaming charts, overtaking the likes of Now You See Me, Now You See Me 2, Flight Risk, and From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Directed by John Curran, the movie seemed to hark back to Norton’s incendiary performance in American History X, and saw him playing a convicted arsonist, who uses mind games against his parole officer, played by Robert De Niro.
Edward Norton Will Next Star in a Comedy
Also featuring Milla Jovovich and Frances Conroy, the film grossed only around $10 million against a reported budget of more than $20 million. Stone received mixed reviews, and is now sitting at a 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus on the aggregator website reads, “Stone boasts a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Milla Jovovich, and it features strong dialogue, but it’s ultimately undone by its heavy-handed symbolism and overabundant plot twists.” Norton will next star in The Invite, the new film by Olivia Wilde, also featuring Seth Rogen and Penélope Cruz alongside herself. You can watch Stone on Starz, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Release Date
October 7, 2010
Runtime
105 minutes
Director
John Curran
Writers
Angus MacLachlan
Producers
Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Holly Wiersma, René Besson, Trevor Short, Jordan Schur