Lonely, neurotic, and honest to a fault, Wilson is a character who we can all relate to on some small level. Created by celebrated cartoonist Daniel Clowes six years ago, his story is now on a journey to the big screen, where the inimitable Woody Harrelson will be bringing the middle-aged divorcee to life.
Stuck in a rut, Harrelson’s lead sets off to find his estranged wife Pippi (played by Laura Dern). They’ve been divorced for 17 years and to complicate matters further, Wilson has only now discovered that he’s actually a father, giving him the impetus to strike up a bond with a teenage daughter (Isabella Amara) whom he’s never met. Cue the awkward shenanigans.
As an atypical family drama, Wilson certainly has its draws, but the major selling point for many will be Woody Harrelson’s performance in the title role. Following up on The Edge of Seventeen, in which he plays a brutally honest high-school teacher, it’s another welcome foray into drama from the esteemed actor, and we ought to enjoy this streak while it continues before Harrelson plots course for blockbuster threequel War of the Planet of the Apes.
Told through the lens of Wilson, Fox’s dark comedy is to be directed by Craig Johnson (The Skeleton Twins), with a screenplay from Daniel Clowes himself. During the formative years of development, The Descendants and Nebraska‘s Alexander Payne initially optioned the graphic novel. However, as time worn on, Payne vacated the director’s chair but remains on board to produce.
Wilson hits theaters on March 24, 2017. Judy Greer and Cheryl Hines co-star.
