The verdict is in: "The Judge" will open this year's
The
Billy Bob Thornton,
"The Judge" was announced as part of the TIFF lineup earlier in the week and bumped up to the opening slot on Friday. The film will make its world premiere at the fest, which runs Sept. 4-14.
"The stars aligned and we are thrilled to announce that we will kick off the festival with 'The Judge,'" said Piers Handling, director and CEO of the festival. "David Dobkin has delivered a moving, textured story about family, duty and the way we remember our past. We couldn't have asked for a better start to this year's event."
In recent years, TIFF has struggled to find the right tone for its opening. After spotlighting Canadian films for years, the fest recently switched to Hollywood premieres, with mixed results.
Two years ago, TIFF opened with Rian Johnson's
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