‘The Program’ Trailer: Ben Foster Brings Lance Armstrong and His Lies to Life
Lance Armstrong went from being one of the greatest sports heroes in modern history to its greatest villain. Few human beings have ever turned heel with such cinematic flair, so it makes sense that he’d get his own movie sooner rather than later. The first trailer for The Program looks exactly like you’d expect a sports biopic from director Stephen Frears to look: classy, bold, and full of interesting actors scowling at each other.
Although Armstrong’s doping scandal has already been chronicled in several excellent documentaries (including The Armstrong Lie), The Program looks to justify its existence with a menacing tone and a seriously creepy lead performance from Ben Foster. The trailer doesn’t even try to make a mystery out of Armstrong’s illegal use of steroids to win countless Tour de France competitions. We know what he’s doing and it’s up to a stalwart journalist played by the wonderful Chris O’Dowd to bring him down.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Based on the award winning book “Seven Deadly Sins” by David Walsh, and featuring a stellar cast including Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet (Tell No One) and Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad), this tense and suspenseful thriller looks at how one of the greatest deceptions in the modern era was uncovered while Armstrong convinced the world he was a hero, winning the Tour de France seven times.
The Program doesn’t have an official release date yet, but considering the subject matter and the talent involved, expect an Oscar-friendly arrival this fall.