Word around the campfire is that Thomas McCarthy‘s Spotlight, a drama about the uncovering of Catholic Church sex abuses by the Boston Globe‘s “Spotlight” team in 2001 and ’02, has turned out well. Earlier today Open Road announced a November 6th opening date with expansions to follow — an obvious indication that they expect award-season action. I’ve heard that Open Road honcho Tom Ortenberg has been telling pallies that Spotlight has the goods and then some. I was actually hoping it might screen at the Cannes Film Festival but that wasn’t to be. (I know for a fact that it test-screened in Pasadena’s Old Town on 4.29.15.) I wouldn’t be surprised if Spotlight turns up at the Venice or Telluride or Toronto Film Festivals, or maybe all three. Directed and co-written by McCarthy (with Josh Singer), pic costars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Liev Schrieber, Brian D’Arcy James, Stanley Tucci and Billy Crudup.

Posted on 3.7.15: “I’m just going to offer a suggestion for the hell of it: Thomas McCarthy‘s Spotlight, the drama about the Boston Globe‘s 2001/02 investigation of sexual molestation by Catholic priests with costars Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schrieber, John Slattery, Jamey Sheridan, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Billy Crudup and Stanley Tucci. Financed by Participant Media and due to be U.S.-distributed by Open Road, Spotlight is just low-profile and modest-sounding enough for Open Road to perhaps seek out an agreeable bump from Cannes that will help it stand up to the competition during award season. Plus McCarthy needs to remind the industry that he’s not the guy who directed The Cobbler, the Adam Sandler film that wiped out in Toronto, but a guy who’s got his mojo back with a moralistic journalism drama.”