Entertainment

Sacha Baron Cohen ‘on trial for thoughts’ in The Trial Of The Chicago 7 teaser

The film was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.
The film was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. The film was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.

Sacha Baron Cohen tells a courtroom he has “never been on trial for my thoughts before” in the first teaser trailer for The Trial Of The Chicago 7.

Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the film follows the notorious trial that followed what was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard.

The organisers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.

Redmayne, who plays Hayden, can be seen shouting: “Get on the streets, get on the streets,” while Cohen plays Hoffman, who says: “It’s a revolution, we may have to hurt somebody’s feelings.”

Aquaman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Seale, while Succession’s Jeremy Strong plays Rubin.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Shenkman, Sir Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne and Alex Sharp (Nico Tavernise/Netflix/PA) (NICO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX © 2020/NICO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX © 2020)

During a courtroom scene, Joseph Gordon-Levitt can be seen as prosecutor Richard Schultz, asking Hoffman: “When you came to Chicago were you hoping to draw the police into a confrontation? I’m concerned you have to think about it.”

Hoffman replies: “Give me a moment, would you, friend? I’ve never been on trial for my thoughts before.”

Also among the cast are Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Sir Mark Rylance, Kelvin Harrison Jr and Caitlin Fitzgerald.

The film is The West Wing writer Sorkin’s second directorial effort, following 2017’s Molly’s Game.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 will be released on Netflix on October 16.