Though the story of Philippe Petit’s daring tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers was already told (and told well) in James Marsh’s 2008 documentary Man On Wire, the feat is getting a big, flashy update this year, courtesy of Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk. Teasing out the drama leading up to Petit’s major stunt, the film hopes to give some context to the spectacle with a cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, and Ben Schwartz. Of course, it’s still very much about the “spectacle,” and Zemeckis’ team is pulling out all stops to put the audience right up there on the high wire with Petit. The Walk opens nationwide on September 30, but The A.V. Club and Sony Pictures have an opportunity for you to see it in Imax for free on September 28. For your chance to win a pair of passes to the advance screening, simply follow the link here and enter your information. As always, seats will be first come, first served, so be sure to arrive early. An official plot synopsis and trailer can be found below.
Twelve people have walked on the moon. Only one has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), is aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, who overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the master director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and 3D wizardry, The Walk is genuine big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds.