UPDATE: The trailer has been removed at the request of the studio. Apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause.
The first trailer for Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher has landed today and it’s about time. We really haven’t seen much from the film and considering that it has a December 20th, 2013 release date set, I was starting to get worried. Luckily, this first trailer gives us a great look at not only what’s in store for us with Miller’s Moneyball follow-up, but it also shows off the fantastic physical transformation that star Steve Carell has gone through.
Anticipation for this one is high, not only because Miller previously wowed audiences with the aforementioned Moneyball, but also because there’s a strong cast in place here, with Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Vanessa Redgrave supporting Carell.
Based on a true story, the film sees Tatum in the role of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz, whose coach, John du Pont (Carell) builds a facility on his estate to train wrestlers, one of whom is Mark. The two grow close, with John pushing Mark into “into a self-destructive spiral” which leads to John murdering Mark’s brother Dave due to the fact that he suspected him of being part of a conspiracy to kill him.
Given Miller’s past history with the Oscars (Capote and Moneyball), it’s very likely that this film will show up at the Academy Awards. At the very least, I can see Carell earning a nod for his work here. He looks truly chilling as du Pont and is almost unrecognizable in the role. I’m already impressed just by what was shown in the trailer and I can’t wait to see how the full film turns out.
Check out the first trailer for Foxcatcher below and let us know what you think in the comments section.
FOXCATCHER is a psychological drama directed by Academy Award nominee Bennett Miller (MONEYBALL) and starring Golden Globe winner Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Academy Award nominee Mark Ruffalo, Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave and Sienna Miller. The film was written by E. Max Frye and Academy Award nominee Dan Futterman. FOXCATCHER tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum), who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave (Ruffalo) and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Carell) to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins “coaching” a world-class athletic team and, in the process, lures Mark into dangerous habits, breaks his confidence and drives him into a self-destructive spiral. Based on actual events, FOXCATCHER is a gripping and profoundly American story of fragile men who pinned their hopes for love and redemption on a desperate obsession for greatness that was to end in tragedy.