Today marks the 40th anniversary of Philippe Petit’s incredible tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers, and while this story was already detailed in James Marsh‘s Oscar-winning documentary "Man On Wire," we’re now getting a feature version. And so, if you ever dreamed of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a bad ’70s haircut, retracing Petit’s steps, well, this movie is for you. Oh, and in IMAX 3D too….
Robert Zemeckis directs "The Walk," based on Petit’s book "To Reach The Clouds," and a nice roster of supporting players are involved, including Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, Charlotte Le Bon, Clément Sibony and César Domboy. Here’s the official 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 (Ben 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.
"The Walk" opens on October 2, 2015.