Apple TV+ shows off new movie with huge Oscar-winning star – and I can't wait

Matt Damon helms The Instigators – and it looks amazing

The Instigators
(Image credit: Apple)

Fresh from showing off George Clooney and Brad Pitt helming one original film it has in the pipeline, Apple has debuted another new trailer – this time for a Matt Damon movie. 

The Instigators will star Damon opposite Casey Affleck and Hong Chau, but unlike Pitt and Clooney's Wolfs, it'll be coming straight to streaming when it arrives on 9 August – as announced by the first full trailer. It's well worth the watch, as you can see below:

The Instigators — Official Trailer | Apple TV+ - YouTube The Instigators — Official Trailer | Apple TV+ - YouTube
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Damon and Affleck star as Rory and Cobby, two put-upon fathers who turn to crime as the only way to get the money they need – and they come up with a plan to take that money from a corrupt politician. 

That heist is clearly not going to go according to plan, though, with more than just the police to worry about as they're chased down by criminals and indeed the lackeys of that politician. It promises to be messy action-heavy fun, but the trailer makes it clear we can also expect plenty of comedy. 

Putting aside the controversy that continues to surround Casey Affleck, Apple has probably got itself something of a banker thanks to Damon's involvement. It's easy to forget that he's a box office goliath, and also a five-time Oscar nominee, with one win to his name for writing Good Will Hunting together with Ben Affleck.

That lit the touchpaper on one heck of a career so far, and this looks like something of a return to his roots, with a movie very much set in Boston – his and the Afflecks' hometown. It's always exciting to see an actor like Damon in a more tied-down movie, after all. 

The movie also has more pedigree in the form of its director Doug Liman, who worked together with Damon so successfully on The Bourne Identity all the way back in 2002 – but also just directed Amazon's great Road House reboot starring Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Damon and Affleck also aren't the only big names in the cast, which boasts Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina and Toby Jones, along with another dramatic part for rapper Jack Harlow, who's increasingly popping up in the occasional movie.

So, on paper, this is almost a blockbuster– which makes it even better that it'll come to Apple TV+ at no extra cost on 9 August. We've said before that the best streaming service might just be the one that can attract the biggest stars, and Apple sure seems to be of the same mind. 

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Max Freeman-Mills
Staff Writer, Tech

Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.