To say Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk from director Ang Lee is highly anticipated would be an understatement, especially for movie buffs. As the first full-length narrative film shot in 4K, native 3D at the high frame rate of 120 frames per second, it’s a work that Kristen Stewart praised for its inventiveness and one that might herald bigger things to come down the road for cinema. Now, this same film will be making its public debut during the New York Film Festival.
Announced by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Billy Lynn will made its world premiere on October 14 at AMC Lincoln Center, “the first time ever the format will be screened publicly.”
The film is an adaptation of Ben Fountain’s book of the same name that centers on a Thanksgiving Day football game, marking the end of a victory tour for U.S. military returning from the Iraq War. The intense event filled with media and celebration transforms into an illustration of PTSD as the titular soldier flashes back to the moment he lost sergeant in a firefight.
Lee said in a statement accompanying the world premiere announcement:
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.
Newcomer Joe Alwyn will portray Billy Lynn, while the cast is rounded out by Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin. Tickets for the NYFF will go on sale September 11.
Watch the trailer for Billy Lynn below.
