Patrick Wilson gets emotional speaking on gun violence at Sundance premiere: 'We are not doing enough' Mike MillerJanuary 26, 2026 at 8:06 PM 0 Patrick Wilson at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Arturo Holmes/Getty Patrick Wilson spoke passionately about the gun violence epidemic in the United States at the premiere of his latest film, Run Amok. In the film, which was shown for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, Wilson plays a high school teacher grappling with the lasting impact of a school shooting 10 years earlier.
- - Patrick Wilson gets emotional speaking on gun violence at Sundance premiere: 'We are not doing enough'
Mike MillerJanuary 26, 2026 at 8:06 PM
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Patrick Wilson at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Arturo Holmes/Getty
Patrick Wilson spoke passionately about the gun violence epidemic in the United States at the premiere of his latest film, Run Amok.
In the film, which was shown for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, Wilson plays a high school teacher grappling with the lasting impact of a school shooting 10 years earlier. Also starring Molly Ringwald and Margaret Cho, the dramedy from first-time filmmaker NB Mager is told through the eyes of Alyssa Marvin's Meg, who stages a play reenacting the tragedy that claimed her mother's life, among others.
"We all, as artists, whether you're on that side or this side, are trying to figure out how to reflect how we normalize violence, gun violence," Wilson, who also produces the film, said during a post-screening Q&A. "There've been a lot of scripts and projects and all with great intentions and wonderful hearts and voices that are trying to make their way through as we as artists try to reflect the social issues that are going on right now."
Alyssa Marvin in in 'Run Amok'
Courtesy of Sundance Institute/Tandem Pictures
Wilson said he was drawn to this particular project because it was told through the point of view of the kids affected by gun violence. "I don't want to hear adults talk anymore about normalizing this," he explained.
Noting that his children were in the audience, the actor choked up as he continued, saying, "I get so emotional, but I'll power through it. When you think about the coming-of-age stories that we all grew up on, many starring Miss Molly Ringwald over there, many in my generation have a totally different sense of coming of age. And of course, those themes of love and loss and high school importance are still extremely valuable. But this generation, the generation that has grown up normalizing lockdowns and what that means, we have to listen to kids, and we have to understand their point of view."
"They are living it, and they, of course, will lead us to the future," he added. "Because God knows we are not doing enough right now."
Wilson's comments, which drew enthusiastic applause from the audience and his fellow cast members, came on the heels of a protest against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Park City, Utah, where the film festival is being held for the last time before moving to Boulder, Colo., next year. The demonstration came in response to the killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, by a border patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday.
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Olivia Wilde, Natalie Portman, and Elijah Wood, the latter of whom attended the protest, are among the celebrities who have spoken out against ICE during the festival, which runs through Feb. 1.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 27, 2026 at 12:45AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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