FRACTURE: FILM SYNOPSIS

When Ted Crawford discovers that his beautiful younger wife, Jennifer, is having an affair, he plans her murder ... the perfect murder. Among the cops arriving at the crime scene is hostage negotiator Detective Rob Nunally, the only officer permitted entry to the house.

Surprisingly, Crawford readily admits to shooting his wife, but Nunally is too stunned to pay close attention when he recognizes his lover, whose true identity he never knew, lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Although Jennifer was shot at point blank range, Nunally realizes she isn't dead.

Crawford is immediately arrested and arraigned after confessing – a seemingly slam-dunk case for hot shot assistant district attorney Willy Beachum, who has one foot out the door of the District Attorney's office on his way to a lucrative job in high-stakes corporate law.

But nothing is as simple as it seems, including this case. Will the lure of power and a love affair with a sexy, ambitious attorney at his new firm overpower Willy's fierce drive to win, or worse, quash his code of ethics? In a tense duel of intellect and strategy, Crawford and Willy both learn that a "fracture" can be found in every ostensibly perfect façade.

New Line Cinema, in association with Castle Rock Entertainment, presents the dramatic thriller, Fracture, starring Academy Award®-winner Anthony Hopkins, Academy Award®-nominee Ryan Gosling, Academy Award®-nominee David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke, Cliff Curtis, Fiona Shaw and Bob Gunton.

Directed by Gregory Hoblit (Primal Fear, Frequency) from a screenplay by Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers and a story by Pyne, Fracture is produced by Charles Weinstock and executive produced by Liz Glotzer, Hawk Koch and Toby Emmerich. The co-producer is Louise Rosner.

Hoblit hopes Fracture entices the same audiences who loved Primal Fear. "I think the film has wide appeal," he says. "It's entertaining, it's got a brain, and it showcases a lot of wonderful actors who will probably expand their fan bases because it's a different look into what they can do."

Anthony Hopkins agrees. "It's a well-made movie of the old school," he says. "You want to know if Willy's going to nail Crawford, but you're more fascinated by the process of getting there."

And even though executive producer Hawk Koch knows the ending, he vows, "I still can't wait to sit in the theatre with my popcorn, watch the movie and just escape for a couple of hours. Hopefully audiences will agree."

New Line Cinema will release Fracture (M.P.A.A. rating pending) in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 20.