If you've seen the excellent documentary MAN ON WIRE, then you already know all about Philippe Petit's daring high-wire walk between New York City's Twin Towers in 1974. THE WALK, Robert Zemeckis' upcoming biopic about Petit's famous walk starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt just recently finished shooting, and USA Today has the first couple of images from the Zemeckis' new movie. THE WALK also stars Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale (WORLD WAR Z, THE DEPARTED) and Charlotte Le Bon (THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY).
Synopsis:
Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, Petit and his gang overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX 3D wizardry, The Walk is true big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds. The film is a love letter to Paris and New York City in the 1970s, but most of all, to the Towers of the World Trade Center.
Producer Tom Rothman also spoke with USA Today, and he described THE WALK as "Gravity meets Ocean's Eleven." I think THE WALK could end up being a player during next year's awards season (especially with the technical awards) and it'll be interesting to see how Robert Zemeckis films and handles Petit's hire-wire walk.
THE WALK will be in theaters on October 2, 2015.