The Hurt Locker is a 2009 Iraq War film written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The film premiered on September 4, 2008 at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed with The Wrestler for the Golden Lion award. It was released in Italy by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 10, 2008. Following a showing at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival, Summit Entertainment picked the film up for distribution in the United States. The Hurt Locker was released in the United States on June 26, 2009, with a limited release at four theaters in Los Angeles and New York City. The film grossed over $145,000 on its opening weekend, averaging around $36,000 per theater. The following weekend, beginning July 3, the film grossed over $131,000 at nine theaters. It held the