Business news and discussion on TalkFuse.
‘Goon’ Director and Jay Baruchel Officially Reunite for a Wild True Story
Michael Dowse and Jay Baruchel have reunited for The Stunt Driver, a comedy-drama about Canadian daredevil Ken Carter, who is portrayed as Canada’s equivalent of Evel Knievel. The film explores Carter’s ambition and determination as he attempts an extraordinary stunt, while bringing wider attention to a largely forgotten Canadian figure.
The story centres on Carter’s plan to drive a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental across the St Lawrence River, a jump spanning roughly a mile. Inspired by the 1981 documentary The Devil at Your Heels, the film incorporates archive footage and also stars Ed Helms and Ben Foster; it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is due in cinemas on 25 September.
In short
- Jay Baruchel reunites with Michael Dowse for a true-life stunt drama.
- The film portrays Ken Carter’s ambitious rocket-car river jump.
- It adapts a 1981 documentary and stars Ed Helms and Ben Foster.
Explained simply
Ken Carter was a Canadian stunt performer who became known for attempting dangerous jumps in cars. He planned to drive a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental across the St Lawrence River, a leap of about a mile.
The story was documented in the 1981 film The Devil at Your Heels, which captured Carter’s ambition and the risks involved. The Stunt Driver draws on that documentary and archive footage, bringing a little-known chapter of Canadian stunt history to a wider audience.
The film is directed by Michael Dowse and stars Jay Baruchel as Carter, alongside Ed Helms and Ben Foster. Dowse and Baruchel previously worked together on the hockey comedy Goon.
Business Entertainment Film Markets