Fifteen years on, The Ides of March still rewards a rewatch: a political thriller with an insider’s setting and a production story full of small surprises. As the film turns 15, here are eight details worth passing along to the next person you watch it with.
Cincinnati was left out of the credits
The film shot across Cincinnati, from Downtown Cincinnati at Fountain Square and the Over-the-Rhine historic district to Northside, Mount Lookout, Xavier University and Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and Hall Auditorium. But the theatrical release failed to recognize Cincinnati in the credits as a filming location. Producer and screenplay co-writer Grant Heslov said the omission was an inadvertent mistake, something that slipped through the cracks, and that the credits would be corrected for the home release.
Clooney pulled triple duty
In October 2010, Variety reported that George Clooney signed on to produce, direct, and star in the film adaptation of Beau Willimon’s Broadway play Farragut North. Exclusive Media Group, Cross Creek Pictures, Smoke House Pictures, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions financed the film.
It opened the Venice Film Festival
The Ides of March premiered on August 31, 2011, as the opening film of the 68th Venice International Film Festival. The Venice premiere came ahead of Sony’s October theatrical opening in the United States.
Sony wanted the play’s title
Sony Pictures Entertainment bought the distribution rights for the United States only, while Alliance Films bought Canadian distribution. Sony wanted Clooney to keep the play’s title, but The Ides of March was picked as the title.
The release date moved twice
The film was originally planned to have a limited release in December 2011 and a wide release in January 2012. Sony eventually moved the opening date to 14 October 2011, and later moved it again to October 7, 2011.
Michigan filming used 1,000 extras
On 14 March, filming began at the University of Michigan and included 1,000 extras. Principal photography also took place in Downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Filming in Cincinnati had begun earlier, in February 2011.
Metacritic and CinemaScore weighed in
On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating generally positive reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of ‘B’ on an A+ to F scale.
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 84%
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 243 reviews, with an average rating of 7.38/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “While not exactly exposing revelatory truths, The Ides of March is supremely well-acted drama that moves at a measured, confident clip.”
Which of these details surprised you? Tell us your favourite The Ides of March fact — or the one you save for a rewatch — in the comments.
Facts from Wikipedia: The Ides of March (2011 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
