The first image from Steven Spielberg's The Post has hit the web and highlights the incredible cast he's assembled for the true story. Spielberg is one of the most prolific directors in the business and has built his storied career by doing blockbusters, dramas, and everything else in between. His two most recent directorial efforts are a perfect sample of his filmography thanks to his political drama Bridge of Spies and big CGI fantasy flick The BFG. Next up for Spielberg however, he'll be diving back into drama with a story that is extremely topical.

It was announced near the beginning of the year that Spielberg had quickly put together a film about The Washington Post's role in uncovering and reporting on the Pentagon Papers. Hollywood legends Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep have been part of the cast from day one, and Spielberg has fast-tracked the film's production for a hopeful Oscar-friendly release date later this year.

There has yet to be much of any promotion for The Post, but 20th Century Fox has now unveiled the first image from the film. Hanks as Ben Bradlee and Streep as Kay Graham are featured on the left of the image, but they are surrounded by a few other faces many may recognize.

Joining the multiple Oscar-nominee leads in this photo is three time Golden Globe nominee Bradley Whitford, Emmy nominee Carrie Coon, Bruce Greenwood, Bob Odenkirk, and more. The star studded cast does not stop there with Alison Brie,  Sarah Paulson, David Cross, Michael Stuhlbarg, Zach Woods, and Jesse Plemons helping round out the cast.

The photo itself is merely the beginning of what is sure to be a long Oscar campaign for Spielberg's latest. The studio has yet to release a trailer, but the movie has been confirmed to release this holiday season. A trailer is hopefully not too far away now that some piece of marketing has been released. The film is a highly anticipated feature for many, and now that the cast has been highlighted, it is time to see what direction Spielberg is giving it.

Based on Spielberg's history and the subject matter at hand, The Post is expected to be a hard-hitting drama that will accurately represent the Pentagon Papers scandal in the '70s, but also be extremely relevant in the current political climate. The battle between President Donald Trump and the media has only continued to grow, making The Post as timely of an awards contender as any other film. These lofty expectations are only going to continue to rise in the coming months, but Spielberg has proven time and time again that he can deliver, especially with source material as rich as this.

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The Post is scheduled to debut in limited US theaters on December 22, 2017, before expanding wide on January 12, 2018.

Source: 20th Century Fox

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