Paramount has been accused of burying 2025’s political thriller Anniversary, which had a star-studded cast and a thought-provoking plot.
In an interview with The Wrap, a partner at Gersh representing director Jan Komasa, and who helped get the movie made, stated that “The film was buried because it is incendiary. To me, it’s a sign of the world we live in.”
Anniversary‘s producer, Nick Wechsler, also spoke of the issue and said, “I’ve never had a movie that we thought was really interesting that no one was aware of. It’s hard to market a political film today. People are afraid of them – they don’t know how it will be received emotionally. It’s a weird time.”
The political thriller Anniversary follows a Georgetown professor, Ellen, whose former student, Liz, writes an anti-democratic thesis titled “The Change”, which wins nationwide attention after being noticed by a powerful right-wing organization. Democrats begin to dwindle, and the world begins to change around Ellen’s family, and Liz marries Ellen’s son, Josh.
Anniversary stars Diane Lane, Dylan O’Brien, Kyle Chandler, and Phoebe Dynevor. Lionsgate financed and distributed the thriller, but it seems to have been buried by the studio due to the current political climate. The movie had little to no marketing, was distributed to 800 theaters, and only opened to $259,180 at the box office, which equates to only $352 per theater.
In reviews posted online, Anniversary shows people rooting for a single-party system, with scenes showing neighbors forcing each other to pledge their loyalty and allegiance to “The Change.” The premiere was rather small, with only three of the cast members attending. With next to no marketing, it was surprising when a studio insider revealed the $3 million marketing budget.
The Trump administration has publicly filed lawsuits over television interviews at ABC and CBS News, with federal investigations into DEI at Disney and Comcast. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, after 11 seasons, was canceled in a shocking move, and Jimmy Fallon Live! was suspended following controversial comments regarding conservative advocate Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Anniversary was released on October 29 and currently has a respectable 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics stating it “acts as a warning against extreme politics” and performances that are “gripping and chilling.”
- Release Date
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October 29, 2025
- Director
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Jan Komasa
- Writers
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Lori Rosene-Gambino, Jan Komasa
- Producers
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Kate Churchill, Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz