# James Franco appears opposite Rob Lowe in ‘Confession’ trailer

The Soviet-era prison drama, directed by Václav Marhoul and written by Ben Shapiro, is scheduled to premiere in Warsaw on October 15.

By The Signal Edition | Entertainment / Film
Published: 2026-10-13T20:15:52.164097Z
Updated: 2026-10-13T20:15:52.164097Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/franco-confession-trailer-hsaayq

## Summary
- Franco plays an interrogator opposite Lowe’s imprisoned professor.
- The film is set in Stalinist Moscow in 1938.
- Reports describe a November 11 US release after its Warsaw premiere.

## First look at a prison drama

James Franco plays an interrogator opposite Rob Lowe in the trailer for ‘Confession,’ a historical drama from The Daily Wire unveiled on October 13. ComingSoon reported that Czech filmmaker Václav Marhoul directed the film from a screenplay by Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro. The preview places the two actors on opposite sides of an interrogation in Stalinist Moscow. [3](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/2206537-james-franco-rob-lowe-jennifer-jason-leigh-daily-wire-confession-trailer)

The story is set in 1938. Lowe’s character, Alexei, is a former literature professor arrested and taken to Lubyanka Prison, where he encounters Vladimir, a former student played by Franco. According to World of Reel’s account, the confrontation drives the prison drama. Those details describe the film’s fictional narrative, rather than a documentary account of the actors or a new historical finding. [1](https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/10/13/confession-trailer-ben-shapiro-wrote-a-soviet-prison-drama-starring-rob-lowe-and-james-franco-for-the-painted-bird-director)

## Festival and release plans

The film is scheduled to premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival on October 15, World of Reel reported. Festival Planner lists a screening that evening at Kinoteka, followed by showings on October 16 and 18. Awards Daily’s trailer coverage identifies a cast that also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Nick Nolte and Emile Hirsch. [1](https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/10/13/confession-trailer-ben-shapiro-wrote-a-soviet-prison-drama-starring-rob-lowe-and-james-franco-for-the-painted-bird-director) [2](https://www.awardsdaily.com/2026/10/13/trailer-for-the-daily-wires-confession-starring-rob-lowe-and-written-by-ben-shapiro/) [4](https://festivalplanner.co/festival/warsaw/confession/)

Awards Daily’s October 13 trailer coverage also identified Lowe, Franco and Shapiro’s involvement and listed November 11 as the release date. World of Reel described a one-night presentation in 100 US theaters on that date alongside availability on DailyWire+. The announced plan therefore separates the festival debut in Poland from the later American theatrical and streaming release. [2](https://www.awardsdaily.com/2026/10/13/trailer-for-the-daily-wires-confession-starring-rob-lowe-and-written-by-ben-shapiro/) [1](https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/10/13/confession-trailer-ben-shapiro-wrote-a-soviet-prison-drama-starring-rob-lowe-and-james-franco-for-the-painted-bird-director)

The production was shot on 35mm film at Santa Clarita Studios, World of Reel reported, with the prison setting used for a concentrated, single-location approach. That production choice supplies context for the trailer’s enclosed setting and the emphasis on the professor’s confrontation with his interrogator, ahead of the first festival screening. [1](https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/10/13/confession-trailer-ben-shapiro-wrote-a-soviet-prison-drama-starring-rob-lowe-and-james-franco-for-the-painted-bird-director)

## Reporting sources
1. [World of Reel: ‘Confession’ Trailer: Ben Shapiro Wrote a Soviet Prison Drama](https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/10/13/confession-trailer-ben-shapiro-wrote-a-soviet-prison-drama-starring-rob-lowe-and-james-franco-for-the-painted-bird-director) (October 13, 2026)
2. [Awards Daily: Trailer for The Daily Wire’s Confession Starring Rob Lowe and Written by Ben Shapiro](https://www.awardsdaily.com/2026/10/13/trailer-for-the-daily-wires-confession-starring-rob-lowe-and-written-by-ben-shapiro/) (October 13, 2026)
3. [ComingSoon: James Franco, Rob Lowe, Jennifer Jason Leigh, & More Lead Daily Wire’s Confession Movie Trailer](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/2206537-james-franco-rob-lowe-jennifer-jason-leigh-daily-wire-confession-trailer) (October 13, 2026)
4. [Festival Planner: Confession — Václav Marhoul · Warsaw Film Festival](https://festivalplanner.co/festival/warsaw/confession/) (Undated; accessed October 13, 2026)