Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk will make its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, which is set to run Sept. 30-Oct. 16.
Ang Lee’s adaptation of the Ben Fountain novel — about an Iraq war hero whose homecoming ceremony summons memories of the trauma of losing his beloved sergeant in a firefight — will debut Oct. 14 in an AMC Lincoln Square theater specially equipped with the technology to screen the innovative feature in its intended format.
The film, from TriStar Pictures and Studio 8 in association with LStar Capital, Film4, Bona Film Group and Fosun Media, is the first full-length narrative film shot in 4K, native 3D at the ultra high rate of 120 frames per second, and its world premiere will be the first time ever the format will be screened publicly.
Newcomer Joe Alwyn plays the title character in the film, with Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin rounding out the cast. Produced by Marc Platt, Lee, Rhodri Thomas and Stephen Cornwell, the adaptation features a screenplay by Jean-Christophe Castelli.
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Tom Rothman was instrumental in bringing Billy Lynn to NYFF, following Lee’s Oscar-winning Life of Pi, which opened the fest in 2012. Previously, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon closed the 2000 fest and The Ice Storm opened the 1997 edition.
“I’m very grateful to the New York Film Festival for selecting our film and giving it such a unique platform,” Lee said Monday in a statement. “The New York Film Festival has been such an important event for me both as a New Yorker and a filmmaker, and I am honored to be represented this year with Billy Lynn. With each film, I try to learn fresh ways to connect with the audience and with myself. Since Life of Pi, I have been working with my team towards a new cinematic approach that I hope will revitalize that connection. But technology is merely a tool; it should always be in service of artistic expression, to make it strong and fresh, because story and drama matter most. I thought Billy’s journey, which is both intimate and epic, and told almost entirely from his point of view, lent itself particularly well to the emotion and intensity that this new approach fosters. At least I hope so, as many people have worked long and hard to help me try to make the future a reality today. I am thankful to them all.”
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is set to hit theaters Nov. 11.
