One of the many films to world premiere at this year’s SXSW wasThe Peanut Butter Falcon. Written and directed byTyler NilsonandMichael Schwartz, the extremely well reviewed movie is about Zak (played byZack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true. Along the way, he has a pretty epic adventure, and meets a number of fascinating people played byShia LaBeouf,Dakota Johnson,John Hawkes,Bruce Dern,Thomas Haden Church,Jon Bernthal,Jake “The Snake” Roberts, andMick Foley.
Before getting to see the film, I sat down with Tyler Nilson, Zack Gottsagen, Michael Schwartz at the Collider studio at SXSW. They talked about what the film is about, how Shia LaBeouf inspired the rest of the cast with his commitment, what they learned from early screenings, how they managed to get such an amazing cast on their feature debut, why there were a lot of group hugs on set, and so much more.
Check out what they had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about and the official synopsis.
Finally, I’d also like to take a moment to give special thanks to our Collider Studio partner, A-List Communications. At the Supper Suite venue in Austin, libations were flowing courtesy of El Tesoro Tequila, Blue Moon Belgian White, and Hint Water. Without these fine folks, we wouldn’t be able to share conversations about movies like The Highwaymen with all of you, so another big thank you to our partners for their support.
Tyler Nilson, Zack Gottsagen, Michael Schwartz:
Here’s the official synopsis forThePeanut Butter Falcon:
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON is an adventure story set in the world of a modern Mark Twain that begins when Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from a nursing home where he lives to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler and attending the wrestling school of The Salt Water Redneck. Through circumstances beyond their control Tyler, a small time outlaw on the run, becomes Zak’s unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whisky, find God, catch fish, and convince Eleanor, a kind nursing home employee with a story of her own, to join them on their journey.
