Weird indie band experiments? Safe words? Michael Fassbender in a large papier-mâché head? It can only be Frank, and the frankly barmy first clip is online courtesy of The Playlist.
With Fassbender choosing to obscure his mug in a Frank Sidebottom-alike head, the story, from The Men Who Stare At Goats’ Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan, finds Domhnall Gleeson playing Jon, who joins a band led by the eccentric Frank. Loosely based on comedian and musician Chris Sievey (with influences from Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart), Frank tells the story of a group who want to make some truly new music, and go about it in very strange ways.
The film comes from Lenny Abrahamson, who last brought us What Richard Did, and promises to deliver much more madness than even the rest of the indie fare as it hits the Sundance Film Festival. With Scott McNairy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tess Harper, Travis Hammer (credited as “Man With An Amazing Face”) and Hayley Derryberry, Frank will be out here on May 2. Here’s hoping for a trailer soon enough.