You’ve seen him as the Green Goblin in Spider Man, as a bitter Moorish idol fish in Finding Nemo, as countless Wes Anderson characters, and now, you’ll get the chance to see Willem Dafoe bring the life and character of Vincent van Gogh to the big screen in a new film, At Eternity’s Gate. The film is based off a screenplay written by Jean-Claude Carriere and the film’s director, lauded artist Julian Schnabel, who is also a filmmaker (Basquiat). At Eternity’s Gate explores the sacrifices van Gogh made for his art and the time he spent living and working in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
Of the project, Schnabel says, “This is a film about painting and a painter and their relationship to infinity. It is told by a painter. It contains what I felt were essential moments in his life, this is not the official history—it’s my version. One that I hope could make you closer to him.”
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This isn’t the first time Hollywood has tried to make a movie about van Gogh. Dafoe will join a company of actors including Kirk Douglas, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tim Roth, who have each been tasked with portraying the illustrious painter. How will his performance match up to the others? We’ll have to wait and see.
Learn more about the film via The Hollywood Reporter.
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