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EXCLUSIVE: Thrilling New Trailer For Lance Armstrong biopic The Program

EXCLUSIVE: Thrilling New Trailer For Lance Armstrong biopic The Program

EXCLUSIVE: Thrilling New Trailer For Lance Armstrong biopic The Program
Danielle de Wolfe
11 September 2015

Enjoy sport films? True stories? How about good guys taking on bad guys? Something tells us you're going to enjoy this world exclusive first look at the new trailer for The Program.

Directed by Stephen Frears, it charts the hilly ascent and controversial fall of Tour De France champ Lance Armstrong (Ben Foster), formerly one of the most loved sportsmen in the world and now one of the most divisive. If not flatly abhorred.

The actual hero of proceedings is Sunday Times journalist David Walsh (Chris O’Dowd, promising another haunting performance after his excellent turn in Calvary). First charmed by Armstrong, Walsh eventually began to doubt the slick veneer of the American athlete and so began a dogged pursuit of the truth behind the American’s cycling feats, risking his career and bankruptcy to do so.

It also shines a light on the work of infamous Italian physician Michele Ferrari - essentially the Victor Frankenstein of the doping world - as his methods turned Armstrong into the biggest monster in the sport, subsequently sending his camp into a state of constant paranoia.

But, as you can see in the trailer, this looks set to be more about the relationship of Armstrong and Walsh, whose battle is fought in the newspapers, in the courts and in the press conferences, as the writer became every bit as tenacious an opponent for Armstrong as the ones out on the road – and make no mistake, the racing scenes themselves look stunning.

We'd also wager Foster (who has since said he went so method for the role he actually tried similar drugs to what the cyclist was on) and O'Dowd are names mentioned around awards season.

If this film tests positive for anything, that’ll be ‘positively thrilling'.

The Program is in cinemas from 16 October, and receives its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on 13 September