American actor, film director, producer Robert Redford is seen during a speech at the Cannes Lions 2009.(AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

Here's an interesting question, posed over the weekend by the Los Angeles Times' Glenn Whipp: "Can [Robert] Redford be relevant again?"

The question was prompted by the news that distribution for Redford's next movie -- which he directed and stars in -- has just been bought by Sony Pictures Classics.

The movie, "The Company You Keep," is a political thriller that stars Redford as a former Weather Underground radical who has to go on the run when his identity is exposed by a young reporter (Shia LaBeouf).

"This movie has the potential to re-establish him," Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, told Whipp.

Bernard said the movie's multigenerational cast -- which includes Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Brit Marling, and 12-year-old singer Jackie Evancho -- could make the film a commercial success.

"It's a movie with a lot to say, and I think that movies with a lot to say are working in the specialized arena," Bernard said. "People are looking for smart movies."

"The Company You Keep" will be making the fall festival double-play, screening at Venice and Toronto. No U.S. release date has been announced.