The story of Philippe Petit’s attempt to tightrope across the twin towers in 1974 was most recently captured in the Oscar winning documentary Man on Wire. This is about to change, as Twitch are reporting that Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Flight) plans to adapt the autobiography Petit’s tale, known as To Reach the Clouds.
Early details state that Zemeckis plans to turn it into a 3D feature, possibly starring Joseph Gordon Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Don Jon). On board to produce the film is Tom Rothman, former head of Fox, under Tristar Productions.
In terms of Zemeckis’ style as a director, this concept seems to gel perfectly with his affinity for special effects and unbelievable stories. There are claims Zemeckis has wanted to do a project based on the life of Petit for a while, finally helped by Rothman who was looking for a large 3D project to work on, ever since the success of sci-fi masterpiece Gravity. Chances are this project will be an easy one for Zemeckis considering his usual style and form. More news as it comes.
Originally published January 24, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
