Waiting for the Barbarians (film)


Waiting for the Barbarians is a 2019 drama film directed by Ciro Guerra in his English-language directorial debut. The film is based on the novel of the same name by J. M. Coetzee. It stars Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Gana Bayarsaikhan, and Greta Scacchi.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2019. It is scheduled to be released on August 7, 2020, by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Cast

It was announced in October 2016 that filmmaker Ciro Guerra was working on an adaptation of the novel Waiting for the Barbarians, which would see him make his English language debut. Mark Rylance was announced to star in the film.
In May 2018, Johnny Depp was stated to have contacted Guerra in regards to appearing in the film. Robert Pattinson was revealed as being cast in the film as well. Depp confirmed in October he would star in the film, and revealed filming was to begin at the end of the month in Morocco, later pinpointed as being October 29. Production concluded on December 14, 2018.

Release

It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2019. Samuel Goldwyn Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, and set it for an August 7, 2020, release.

Critical reception

Waiting for the Barbarians holds a 50% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews, with a weighted average of 5.78/10. On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 55 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".