You may remember earlier this year seeing a rather rail-thin Jake Gyllenhaal at red carpets and other public appearances. You may also remember reports that the actor had gone to the hospital because he had badly cut his hand with glass after punching a mirror. No, this wasn’t the sign of Hollywood excess or a troubled actor in a downward spiral— it was all for a role in a new movie.
Titled “Nightcrawler,” the crime thriller is the directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Gilroy, the writer of “Freejack” and “Chasers,” the co-writer of "The Bourne Legacy" and brother of Tony Gilroy (the screenwriter behind the ‘Bourne’ series, “Michael Clayton” among many others). “Nightcrawler” is about an out of work man (Gyllenhaal) who man stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime journalism.
A new viral clip has emerged and it hints at the desperation in unemployment that leads Gyllenhaal’s character down the path that sets this movie in motion. It’s less than a minute teaser, but yes, the actor is gaunt and the footage is definitely intriguing. It gives us a quick taste of what to expect, but it’s really only the first layer of unpeeling the onion, with lots more to be revealed. The actor lost twenty pounds for the role too.
“Nightcrawler” co-stars Bill Paxton, Rene Russo and Riz Ahmed. And you can bet any money, given that a viral video has hit now, we’ll see it during the fall film festival season. Our guess is at least the Toronto International Film Festival. But the movie does already have distribution. "Nightcrawler" is scheduled for a October 17 release via Open Road Films. Watch the clip below with more to come soon, we’re sure.
