Magnolia Pictures Acquires Peter Saarsgard-Starring Stanley Milgram Biopic ‘Experimenter’

READ MORE: Meet the 2015 Sundance Filmmakers #49: Michael Almereyda Rocks the Biopic Genre With ‘Experimenter’

“Experimenter,” a new film written and directed by Michael Almereyda about the famous Milgram behavior experiments, has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures. “Experimenter” premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. 

The film stars Peter Saarsgard as Stanley Milgram, a psychologist who made history in the 1960s with his troubling Yale study on obedience to authority, known as the “Milgram Experiment.” These experiments observed the reactions of test subjects when asked to send painful electric shocks to a stranger. Although the people being shocked were obviously in distress, 65 percent of test subjects ignored their pleas, and instead obeyed the authority figures running the test, who instructed them to continue administering shocks. None too surprisingly, Milgram was accused of being a cruel monster. 

“Experimenter” is a biopic that delves deeply inside Milgram’s mind and behind his intentions. Starting with his obedience research, the film explores Milgram’s hidden obsessions and brings up further questions about the nature of human behavior. 

The supporting cast of “Experimenter” includes Winona Ryder, Jim Gaffigan, Taryn Manning, Anton Yelchin, Kellan Lutz, John Leguizamo, Anthony Edwards, Josh Hamilton, Lori Singer, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Dennis Haysbert. 

“‘Experimenter’ is an absolutely fascinating film,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “Michael Almereyda again does a brilliant, imaginative job in illuminating a complex subject.”

The film will be released theatrically later this year.