In 1957, Jack Kerouac wrote a letter to Marlon Brando, suggesting that he play the lead in a film adaptation of his semi-autobiographical novel On the Road. While Brando never responded, Francis Ford Coppola eventually bought the film rights in 1979. Back in September we got a few stills from the completed On the Road, and now we have a poster! But does it make the film look worth the wait?
The poster itself is fairly standard: aesthetically pleasing, I like the 50s postcard colours, the overexposed faces and the painted desert scene. But I’m not really digging the font or the disembodied rear-view mirror. Also I don’t remember Kristen Stewart’s character (Marylou) having such a major role in the book, so I’m curious to see whether they’re bigging this up for publicity reasons, or whether Marlou does get more pages in the screenplay than the novel.
Sam Riley (Control) stars as Kerouac’s alter-ego Sal Paradise, while Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) features as Dean Moriarty, the stand-in for Kerouac’s best pal Neal Cassady. Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) plays Paradise’s girlfriend, Camille, while Kristen Stewart takes on the role of Cassady’s wife, Marylou. The film’s supporting cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Terence Howard and Elisabeth Moss.
On the Road, directed by Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries), is rumored to be premiering at Cannes this year. For a film that’s been in the works for about half a century, what’s another few months wait?
