Getting a limited US release at the end of December, making it something of an Oscar dark horse flying a little lower on the radar than a handful of other films, Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land has a lot of potential, with an all-star cast topped by Matt Damon.
Reuniting with Damon following the Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, we caught the powerful first trailer for the film last month, and now EW have debuted the first images of Damon alongside the brilliant Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married).
“Promised Land is the new contemporary drama directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk). Matt Damon plays Steve Butler, an ace corporate salesman who is sent along with his partner, Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), to close a key rural town in his company’s expansion plans. With the town having been hit hard by the economic decline of recent years, the two outsiders see the local citizens as likely to accept their company’s offer, for drilling rights to their properties, as much-needed relief. What seems like an easy job for the duo becomes complicated by the objection of a respected schoolteacher (Hal Holbrook) with support from a grassroots campaign led by another man (John Krasinski), as well as the interest of a local woman (Rosemarie DeWitt). Promised Land explores America at the crossroads where big business and the strength of small-town community converge.”
Damon and DeWitt have fine support for company, headed up by John Krasinski (The Office), Frances McDormand (Fargo), Scoot McNairy (Killing Them Softly), Titus Welliver (Lost), and Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild).
Van Sant is directing from a script co-written by Damon and Krasinski, based on a story by critically acclaimed novelist, Dave Eggers.
Promised Land will be given a limited release in the US on 28th December, before opening wide in the New Year on 11th January. Here in the UK, we have a little longer to wait, with it arriving on 19th April, but given the esteemed talent involved, it looks to be very much well worth the wait. For now, here are the first images from the film, which you can click to enlarge.
