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Josh O’Connor is taking the lead in the upcoming heist film, The Mastermind, a 1970s heist drama written and directed by renowned filmmaker Kelly Reichardt. The British actor is widely celebrated for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Prince Charles in Netflix's The Crown and his roles in films like God's Own Country and the recent Challengers.
O'Connor portrays J.B. Mooney, a father without a job who attempts to become an amateur art thief by organizing a complex scheme to steal priceless artworks. Nominated for Palme d'Or at its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2025, The Mastermind is scheduled to be released theatrically in the U.S. on October 17, 2025.
Josh O'Connor featuring The Mastermind: Trailer, cast and everything we know so far
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The upcoming heist drama, The Mastermind, from Kelly Reichardt, features an ensemble cast led by Josh O’Connor as protagonist James Blaine "J.B." Mooney. O’Connor is joined by Alana Haim as his wife, Terri Mooney, alongside Hope Davis and Bill Camp as J.B.’s displeased parents, and supporting roles from John Magaro and Gaby Hoffmann.
The film's plot, which is set in a peaceful Massachusetts suburb around 1970, centers on J.B., a family guy and unemployed carpenter whose modest life comes into conflict with his idea of being a skilled thief. Director Reichardt drew loose inspiration from a real-life event: the infamous 1972 Worcester Art Museum robbery, where thieves walked off with major works in broad daylight.
J.B.’s immature plan involves stealing four real-life abstract paintings by American modernist Arthur Dove from a fictitious local institution, the Framingham Art Museum. The stolen works in the film are Willow Tree (1937), Yellow, Blue-Green and Brown (1941), Tree Forms (1932), and Tanks & Snowbanks (1938). Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the film's origin, director Reichardt stated:
I’ve just always been interested in heists. I like to dig around and read about them when they come up —they’re fun to read about. And I read an article on the 50th anniversary of the art heist in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1972. The article was about these teenagers who got caught up in an art heist at the Worcester Art Museum. That piqued my interest. So it was just a little seed for how to start telling this story.
Accoriding to several critics, the film's noted quality is its blend of Reichardt's minimalist realism with unexpected, dark humour and thrilling suspense, making it a unique entry in the heist genre. Releasing on October 17, 2025, The Mastermind is also set to screened as part of the Main Slate at the 63rd New York Film Festival.
Stay tuned for more updates.
