LOS ANGELES, Aug 17 — Soon to be seen at the Toronto International Film Festival in Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, Susan Sarandon will also be in the limelight for Viper Club, a thriller by Maryam Keshavarz in which the veteran actress plays the leading role.

Susan Sarandon will return to the big screen this fall in the YouTube-produced thriller Viper Club. The streaming platform has concluded a deal with Roadside Attractions to secure a theatrical release for the film. The decision marks a change of strategy for the Google-owned entity which originally planned to release its productions directly on YouTube Premium.

Written by American-Iranian director Maryam Keshavarz and Jonathan Mastro, Viper Club will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which is set to run from September 6 to 16.

Sarandon plays the lead role in a cast that also features Matt Bomer (White Collar), Lola Kirke (Gone Girl), Adepero Oduye (The Big Short), Sheila Vand (Argo), Julian Morris (Pretty Little Liars) and Edie Falco (The Sopranos).

Originally entitled Vulture Club, the film tells the story of Helen (Sarandon), a former ER nurse battling to free her son, a war correspondent, who is held being captive by a terrorist group. When negotiations to secure his release are held up by bureaucracy, Helen discovers a secret community of journalists, philanthropists and lawyers who may be able to help her.

"The extremely talented cast delivered powerful performances, and we are thrilled to debut this film at the Toronto International Film Festival and partner with Roadside to bring the film to theatres this autumn,” said Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s global head of original content.

Seven years after Circumstance, which was released in 2011, Viper Club is Maryam Keshavarz’s second feature.

Viper Club will be released on October 26 in the United States, ahead of its launch on YouTube Premium in 2019. — AFP-Relaxnews