EuropaCorp has dropped the trailer for Luc Besson‘s anticipated comeback movie “Dogman” starring Caleb Landry Jones, a Texas-born musician and actor best-known for his Cannes-prizewinning role in “Nitram.”
The movie, represented in international markets by Kinology, is rumored to be selected in competition at the Venice Film Festival. The film tells the story of a child, bruised by life, who finds salvation through his love of dogs. It marks Besson’s first film since 2019’s “Anna.”
In the trailer, which PvNew had seen exclusively before the Berlinale, Landry Jones stars as Douglas, a man who was abused as a child by his violent father and viciously thrown to the dogs. Instead of attacking him, the dogs came to protect him and became his allies. On a journey to heal from childhood trauma and physical injury, Douglas seeks to find his own path, even if it means bending societal rules and going overboard with his love of dogs. The trailer shows Landry Jones’ character experimenting with gender expression and embracing his singularity, while facing off gangsters in action-packed scenes.Douglas also appears to be interrogated by a detective, played by Jojo T. Gibbs.
“I’ve always like disguises. That’s what you do when you don’t really know who you are, right? You dress up to make up a past to forget your own,” Douglas says in the footage. Speaking of dogs, he says “they only have one flaw, they trust humans.”
The trailer suggests that “Dogman” has a darker edge and is character-driven, in the same vein as Besson’s early work, notably “The Professional” and “Nikita.”
“Dogman” will have a theatrical roll out in France and Europe starting in late September and early October. Apollo Films will release the movie on Sept. 27. Besson is producing via his banner LBP.EuropaCorp, the company he founded which is now owned by New York-based Vine Alternative. France’s leading commercial network TF1 has pre-bought the movie and is co-producing it.
Watch the trailer for “Dogman” below.
