Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell, Acclaimed $45 Million Biopic, Coming to Netflix

It's been over three years since Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer became a masterpiece and the highest-grossing biographical film of all time; a title it held until Michael overtook it this year. The multi-Oscar-winning biopic dramatizes the titular scientist's studies, his leadership of the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II, and his 1954 security hearing. As you already know, the hearing resulted in Oppenheimer's Q clearance being revoked, a decision that negatively affected his life and career. Cillian Murphy led the film's star-studded ensemble, which also included Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh.

Oppenheimer's story doesn't end on a high note, seeing as the country turns against a man who just served it. A similar biopic shares that unsettling premise and was released years before Nolan's hit thriller, also earning critical acclaim. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film debuted in theaters in 2019 and tells the unfortunate story of the security guard Richard Jewell. Jewell discovered a bomb during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and alerted authorities to evacuate, only to later be wrongly accused of having placed the device himself.

Richard Jewell is regarded today as one of the best films of 2019 and, starting November 1, 2026, it begins streaming on Netflix, where it will certainly find new audiences who will find it a worthy biopic. The underrated drama stars Paul Walter Hauser in his breakout performance as the title character and Kathy Bates in an Oscar-worthy performance as his mother, Barbara "Bobi" Jewell, alongside Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, and Olivia Wilde.

Is 'Richard Jewell' Worth Watching?

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Upon release, Richard Jewell was a box office flop. Released alongside Jumanji: The Next Level and Black Christmas, the film grossed $22.3 million in North America and $22.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide box office total of $44.6 million against a $45 million production budget. However, it did do well by critics' standards, now sitting at a Certified Fresh 77% on Rotten Tomatoes with an even more impressive Verified Hot 96% audience score. Additionally, Bates earned several accolades for her brilliant performance, including a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes.