The Sundance Film Festival kicks off this week in the States, and among the films making their premiere is the latest collaboration between director Gus Van Sant and actor Joaquin Phoenix. We can now take a first look at the true-life tale Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot via its first teaser trailer.
Based on the eponymous autobiography of cartoonist, writer and all-round addict John Callahan, it'll follow his fascinating story. Diving into drink and drugs before he turned 18, an alcohol-fueled car accident left him a quadriplegic at 21. He met the challenges of his life and became a cartoonist unafraid to tackle tough subjects such as race and disability – even if meant calls to boycott him. His work was published in the New Yorker, Penthouse and Playboy among others, and he died in 2010.
Part of the tale sees Callahan attempting to enter treatment for his various alcoholic and narcotic issues, spurred on by his girlfriend Annu (Rooney Mara) and charismatic sponsor Donnie (Jonah Hill, sporting a very different look for him).
This is a film that studios and filmmakers have been trying to make for years; Van Sant himself has been circling the idea since the early 2000s. Now, it'll finally hit screens in the States at the festival and then on 11 May, with no sign yet of a UK release. But given Amazon's involvement, expect it to make its way over here this year.
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