Sometimes, being a major TV icon is a lot more dangerous than it looks, and George Clooney's character in his latest movie 'Money Monster' is about to realise that to the biggest degree possible. All it takes is one crazed would-be fan, and he's wearing a vest rigged with explosives.

George Clooney and Jodie FosterGeorge Clooney and Jodie Foster on the set of Money Monster

Clooney will follow up his role in 'Hail, Caesar!' with this nail-biting thriller in which he stars as a charismatic television star named Lee Gates who hosts a network show called 'Money Monster' that delivers financial advice to viewers and potential Wall Street investors. Of course, not everyone who takes the sort of risks he thrives on has the same luck as him. One investor named Kyle Budwell (played by 'Unbroken' star Jack O'Connell) finds himself the victim of a particularly messy loss, and so angrily storms the studio and holds Gates and the crew, including producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) hostage, armed with a handgun and a suicide vest.

They remain live on air throughout the fiasco, to the shock of the viewers, as Kyle protests about the deception of the financial market and its thieving ploys. Meanwhile, the crew are trying to understand the scandalous circumstances of what he's claiming, while the police track down his girlfriend (Caitriona Balfe from 'Now You See Me') in a bid to talk him down.

Watch the trailer for 'Money Monster' here:


 

It's an interesting concept, because while the idea of George Clooney wearing a bomb jacket while a maniac brandishes the controls is utterly horrifying, the audience can't help agreeing with some of the points Kyle is making about the fat cats, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Soon it becomes an almost Stockholm Syndrome effect, as the producers start demanding answers about dodgy stock markets from the giants of Wall Street themselves.

More: See photos from the set of 'Money Monster'

'Money Monster' has been directed by Jodie Foster in her first film directing stint since 2011's 'The Beaver', with 'Grimm' writers Alan DiFiore and Jim Kouf joined by Jamie Linden ('Dear John') on the screenplay.

The film is set to be released in the US on May 13th 2016.