From his work with Richard Linklater to his searing performance in Paul Schrader’s upcoming First Reformed, Ethan Hawke is indie movie royalty. He’s intermittently directed over the years too — and his latest work as director is a biopic of American country musician Blaze Foley, succinctly titled Blaze. The film was praised on its premiere in Sundance earlier this year, and a first trailer has just strummed its way online.
The film sees acting newcomer and real-life musician Ben Dickey playing Foley, joined by Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat as his author girlfriend Sybil Rosen, who wrote a book about her time with Foley. Charlie Sexton plays fellow legendary musician Townes Van Zandt. Blaze spent his early years living in an artists community surrounded by other songwriters and creatives, and in his later years was tinged by alcoholism.
Also in the cast are the likes of Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn and Kris Kristofferson, and while Hawke himself is solely behind the camera for this one, his frequent director Richard Linklater acts in it — a neat switcheroo from the pair’s usual dynamic. Blaze is set to arrive in UK cinemas in September.
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