The cast of Robert Zemeckis’ To Reach The Clouds just got a bit more exciting today, as Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale and Charlotte Le Bon have signed on to join Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the film. Based on Philippe Petit’s own memoir of the same name, To Reach The Clouds will follow Petit’s attempt to walk across a high-wire between the Twin Towers back in 1974. Gordon-Levitt will step into the lead, while Kingsley will be his mentor, Dale one of his friends, and Le Bon his girlfriend.
If you’ve seen the terrific 2008 documentary Man on Wire, then you’re likely familiar with Petit’s story. In fact, I’d imagine that most people have at least heard of the high-wire walker’s famous stunt, which was set up illegally and led to him being arrested right after completing the precarious walk. Despite this, Petit gained worldwide notoriety and became a bit of a legend in some circles.
Though we don’t know a whole lot just yet about how Zemeckis is going to approach the story, To Reach The Clouds will apparently play out like a heist movie, as it will follow not only the wire walk itself, but also Petit’s attempts to set it all up without being caught. That’s definitely an interesting angle to take (rather than focusing solely on the event and the spectacle that surrounded it), and I believe it could work out well. With Zemeckis and a cast as talented as this one, I have a good feeling about To Reach The Clouds‘ chances of succeeding in doing right by its fascinating subject matter.
Tell us, are you excited to see Philippe Petit’s story on the big screen? Sound off below!
