Via Deadline, Doug Liman’s latest film, Lockdown, starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor has been acquired for distribution by Warner Bros. They also announced, right before the huge announcement that their entire 2021 slate will be available on HBO Max the same day as theaters, that Lockdown will be an HBO Max Original. This will be Hathaway’s second film to be released on HBO Max, the first being The Witches. 

The story follows a couple, Linda(Hathaway) and Paxton (Ejiofor), in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdowns that were prolific around the world earlier this year. In a bid to change their recent bouts of arguments, the duo plan to rob Harrods, one of the most prestigious department stores in all of London. 

The film has quite the ensemble as in addition to Hathaway and Ejiofor, the film stars Ben Stiller, Stephen Merchant, Lucy Boynton, Ben Kingsley, Mindy Kaling, Dulé Hill, and Mark Gatiss. 

It was reported a couple months ago that Lily James and Jazmyn Simon were in advanced talks to add to the ensemble, but it is clear that both parties went in other directions as neither actor is reportedly in the film. The initial casting report on this film had no mention of Ben Kingsley, Lucy Boynton or Mindy Kaling, so having those actors in the film is a pleasant surprise. 

The film was shot completely during the ongoing COVID pandemic in London under strict guidelines, and, seeing as there were no reported COVID outbreaks, the movie went through production and filming without a hitch.  

The film has no set release date, though Warner Bros. is planning an early 2021 release on its streaming platform HBO Max.