Joaquin Phoenix is set to star in director Gus Van Sant’s upcoming biopic based on the life of cartoonist John Callahan. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report that Jack Black (The D Train) is currently in talks for a role in the film as well.
Based on and titled after the autobiography, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, Phoenix will play the late cartoonist and author. At the age of 21, Callahan was involved in a car crash after a day of heavy drinking that cost him the full dexterity of his hands and made him a quadriplegic. The film will follow Callahan as he rebuilds his life coping with the accident by becoming a well known cartoonist. The damage done as a result of the accident forced him to draw with both hands on his pen or pencil, which gave birth to his distinct style and dark sense of humor. Callahan is perhaps most well known for creating the short lived Nickelodeon animated series, Pelswick. Callahan died in 2010 at the age of 59.
The film has been a passion project for Van Sant for quite some time, with even the late Robin Williams being considered for the role. Joining Phoenix in the cast are Oscar nominees Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street), and Rooney Mara (Carol). Black stars in The Polka King, alongside Jenny Slate (Obvious Child) and Jason Schwartzman (Moonrise Kingdom), which recently made its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. He also will soon appear in Sony’s upcoming reboot of Jumanji starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart.
No release date has been given to the film yet.
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