Jason Bateman appeared with his wife and two teenage daughters at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday while promoting his new Netflix limited series, Black Rabbit.
Bateman, 56, posed at the TIFF Lightbox in Toronto with his wife Amanda Anka, 56, and their daughters Francesca, 18, and Maple, 13. It was a notably rare family red-carpet appearance for the actor, who more often attends premieres solo. Bateman married Anka on July 3, 2001.
The premiere brought together Bateman and his Black Rabbit co-star Jude Law, along with creators Kate Susman and Zach Baylin, as the limited series made its festival debut. Black Rabbit is set in New York City’s nightlife scene and follows two brothers — Jake Friedkin, the charismatic owner of an up-and-coming restaurant and VIP lounge played by Law, and Vince, the brother who returns to the business and upends the fragile order, played by Bateman. Netflix describes the series as a character-driven thriller that examines how ambition and family ties can lead to danger and the collapse of what people have built.
At the festival, Bateman wore an olive green button-down over a black T-shirt and dark slacks. Anka wore a black vest with Capri slacks, and their daughters appeared in dresses with strappy black heels.
Bateman is best known for his roles as Michael Bluth in Arrested Development and Marty Byrde in Ozark. He has won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, and has received a Directors Guild of America nomination. The actor’s appearance in Toronto continues a busy year for him as Black Rabbit prepares to stream on Netflix beginning Sept. 18.
In interviews and public remarks over the years, Bateman has discussed personal struggles in the 1990s with alcohol and drug addiction. He has said that by age 20 he had begun to “play hard” and that a decade of excess followed. He later sought treatment and has spoken about recovery in the context of his career.
The TIFF Lightbox screening was among several festival appearances this month as studios and streamers use film festivals to stage premieres and build audience awareness ahead of wide releases. Black Rabbit’s run on Netflix will provide its widest audience when it becomes available later in September.