Joe Carnahan’s Stretch has been dealt blow after blow during its post-production. The gritty low-budget offering from the director of The Grey and The A-Team staggered about in limbo after Universal pulled it from its allotted March release. And took away its $40 million marketing budget. Following an extensive recut by Carnahan, the studio now looks set to deliver the fun caper this October and today, they have planted the first trailer online.
Following “a down-on-his-luck chauffeur looking to relieve his debt by driving around a mysterious billionaire who drags him to hell and back,” Carnahan’s tale distinctly places it in the realms of his earlier works. Except this time it doesn’t venture to the dark, sombre recesses of humanity (Narc), but instead presents like a darker, funnier, edgier version of Driving Miss Daisy. You might expect bonkers behaviour, and you’ll be pleased to hear there’s an abundance of it in the trailer. Adding on from the range of teaser clips that’ve made their way online, enjoy this first preview for yourself below.
The chauffeur in question is played by Patrick Wilson, whose comedic timing is given a showcase as he drives Chris Pine’s eccentric playboy around town. Norman Reedus, Jessica Alba, Chris Pine, Brooklyn Decker, Ed Helms, Ray Liotta, Mindy Robinson, Randy Couture and David Hasselhoff fill out the remainder of the cast.
Movies set across the course of one night are a risky move. The nature of stringing together captivating set-ups that a main character could plausibly endure is tough to pull off. Wilson’s chauffeur is one such guy. A bit of a schlub – we see him eating on the toilet – he’s a wise-crackin’ everyman thrown into a world above his head. It looks like a total blast, with a neat nod to The Hangover courtesy of Ed Helms, revisiting his We’re The Millers persona.
Stretch is available on iTunes and Amazon from October 7th, with a general VOD release on October 14th.
