Preview: On The Road

Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel On The Road was always going to be extremely difficult to adapt. The story is held in such high esteem by critics and readers alike, that any film adaptation is bound to be a challenge – Time Magazine even called it one of the 100 Best English Language Novels of the 20th Century. It’s seen as one of the premier works for the beat generation – combining jazz, poetry and drug experiences. It follows the experiences of two young men travelling across America and the highs and lows that they experience.

However, not to worry! Kerouac’s masterpiece is in the safe hands of Walter Salles, director of the excellent The Motorcycle Diaries (and Dark Water… but we don’t like to mention that). If anything like The Motorcycle Diaries (which you could draw some comparisons to) then we should be in for a treat. Jose Rivera has written the screenplay which furthers the notion we are in safe hands, after all he has a fairly impressive CV.

The film also features an extremely talented young cast – Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart and Tom Sturridge, as well as some more familiar faces like Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Terence Howard and Steve Buscemi. With a talented director, writer and cast, it looks as if this is going to be quite a special film and will hopefully live up to the legacy of the book.

Here are some stills…