Sealed off from the world, the tenants of a skyscraper descend into alcohol-soaked savage states, creating an environment where murder and other perverse acts are daily occurrences in J.G. Ballard's thought-provoking 1975 novel, High-Rise. Filmmaker Ben Wheatley's (Kill List) take on Ballard's story will debut this September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Featuring an impressive cast that includes Tom Hiddleston as Dr. Robert Laing, Luke Evans as Richard Wilder, Jeremy Irons as Anthony Royal, Sienna Miller as Charlotte, James Purefoy as Pangbourne, and Elisabeth Moss, High-Rise will make its world premiere at TIFF as part of the Platform lineup.
Knowing that Ballard's disturbing and ingenious take on isolation, class warfare, and savagery is going to be adapted by Wheatley, one of the most intriguing filmmakers of the past decade, makes High-Rise a must-see movie for 2015. Wheatley will work from a screenplay penned by constant collaborator Amy Jump (A Field in England, Kill List).
A release date (both for TIFF and theaters/VOD) and trailer for Wheatley's latest have yet to be revealed, but we'll keep Daily Dead readers updated on further High-Rise news. In the meantime, we have a few stills from the film below (via TIFF).
"High-Rise Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom World Premiere
1975. Two miles west of London, Dr. Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. Resigned to the complex social dynamics unfolding around him, Laing bites the bullet and becomes neighbourly. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. The lights go out and the elevators fail but the party goes on. People are the problem. Booze is the currency. Sex is the panacea. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans and Elisabeth Moss."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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