Chicago-Made ‘Heist 88’ Gets Its Premiere Date; Courtney B. Vance Stars

At this time last year, The crime drama Heist 88 starring two-time Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story) was filming throughout the City of Chicago. And now, almost exactly one year from the film’s wrap date last Labor Day weekend, the premiere date has been announced for this highly anticipated thriller.

Inspired by one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history, Heist 88 is set to debut exclusively on Paramount+ with Showtime on September 29. It will make its way to Showtime for its linear debut at 9 p.m. ET/PT on October 1st.

And here is your first look at the film. And yes, it’s just a single photo provided by Showtime but there will be much more to come in the weeks ahead…

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions and Gunpowder & Sky, Heist 88 is set at a time before widespread computerization and the cybersecurity protections of today. The story centers on Jeremy Horne (played by Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything. After deciding to pull one last job before going to prison, Horne recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the nation’s banking system.

The film reunites Vance with The People vs OJ Simpson‘s Keesha Sharp, as well as his 61st Street co-star Bentley Green. Starring alongside the trio are Keith David, Xavier Clyde, Nican Robinson and Precious Way.

Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood) directed from a script by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran (Minor Adjustments). Executive producers included Angela Bassett, Vance, Lynnette Ramirez and Dwayne Johnson-Cochran for Bassett Vance Productions, as well as Van Toffler and Barry Barclay for Gunpowder & Sky. Amal Baggar, Mychael Chinn, and Donny Hugo Herran executive produced for MTV Entertainment Studios, with Carlos Lugo serving as executive in charge of production.

Get to Know Dwayne Johnson-Cochran

Heist 88 screenwriter Dwayne Johnson-Cochran is no stranger to Chicago. He wrote and produced on the Chicago-made short-lived 90s TV series Angel Street, executive produced by John Wells for CBS. Johnson-Cochran also made his directing debut in the Windy City, in HBO’s 1999 movie Love and Action in Chicago, which starred his Heist 88 compatriot Vance.

You can sit back and enjoy the full 1999 HBO classic from Johnson-Cochran and Vance right here…

The movie began filming in Chicago on August 4, 2022 and wrapped over Labor Day weekend, on September 2nd. The production consisted of 23 days of filming throughout the Chicagoland area.

Click here for SCREEN’s coverage of the filming of Heist 88 in Chicago last Summer.

Be sure to check back here at SCREEN Magazine as this project powers ahead to its premiere date. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.

Photo Credits: Courtney B. Vance Photo by Matthew Jordan Smith