It's been a long journey to get "On The Road" to the screen. The beatnik classic by Jack Kerouac was never going to be an easy translation, but Francis Ford Coppola initially bought the rights over thirty years ago, and worked on the project for decades before eventually handing over the directing reins to "The Motorcycle Diaries" helmer Walter Salles. Even then, it's taken a while: the film shot a year-and-a-half ago, and was expected to land last year, but Salles has refused to be rushed in the editing room.
But with the Brazillian filmmaker confirming recently that the project was edited and mixed, and set for release in France in May, it's getting closer, and the film's bakers MK2 have revealed the first proper poster, along with a selection of new images on, of all things, the "On The Road" Facebook page (that sound you hear? It's Jack Kerouac rolling in his grave…).
The new stills focus mostly on Sam Riley, who plays writer Sal Paradise, who heads out to lead an itinerant lifestyle with new pal Dean Moriarty (Garret Hedlund, also glimpsed here) and his wife Marylou (Kristen Stewart). The poster, meanwhile, carries a strong, evocative image, and also showcases the names of the impressive supporting cast, which includes Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Alice Braga and Elisabeth Moss.
There's still no firm word on when the movie might be unveiled, but the French release date certainly points towards a Cannes premiere, and we're sure a U.S. distributor will fall in after that. In the meantime, check out the images below, while an official synopsis also arrived on the Facebook page, for anyone who failed to go through that phase in high school.
"Just after his father’s death, Sal Paradise, an aspiring New York writer, meets Dean Moriarty, a devastatingly charming ex-con, married to the very liberated and seductive Marylou. Sal and Dean bond instantly. Determined not to get locked in to a constricted life, the two friends cut their ties and take to the road with Marylou. Thirsting for liberty, the three young people head off in search of the world, of other encounters, and of themselves."