HOME TRAILERS RELEASE DATES PODCAST REVIEWS POSTERS INTERVIEWS MOVIE NEWS ABOUT US APPS FSnetwork

FIRST LOOK

Five New Photos from Cormac McCarthy's The Road

by Alex Billington
August 7, 2008
Source: USA Today

This isn't officially the first time we've featured photos from The Road (that was back in May), but it is the first time we get an actual glimpse at how the bleak post-apocalyptic world of the film will tie into the heartwrenching story. John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road is becoming increasingly interesting as we near the release and start to hear more about the finer details of the production, which is living up to all of the hype so far. This latest update comes from USA Today and introduces six new photos featuring Viggo Mortensen and his on-screen son Kodi Smit-McPhee, as well as Michael K. Williams as the thief. Mortensen shares: "I think what's made this story so universally loved is because it's really about protecting your child, no matter what the circumstances. At its core, it's a love story."

If you're unfamiliar with the story, the book takes place in a burnt out American wasteland, not long after a nuclear winter has settled in. A father and his son, traveling with only the clothes they are wearing, a pistol for protection, and a cart of scavenged food, slowly make their way down a deserted road in an attempt to get to the coast. They don't know what they'll find there, but at this point, they've got nothing else but each other and the hope that they'll find something at the end that is keeping them alive.

Pittsburgh during the winter, as well as New Orleans and Mount St. Helens, served as the backdrop for most of the movie. Mortensen explains how visceral it was shooting on location. "It's tangible, the misery and hopelessness and the bleakness. It gives you much more to work with if you're filming in that world instead of a green screen. You have to bring a story to life in a movie in a way you don't have to in a book - even a book as powerful as that." You can see five new photos below.

The Road is directed by ex-music video director John Hillcoat, of The Proposition previously. The screenplay was adapted by Joe Penhall, of Some Voices, Enduring Love, and The Undertaker previously, and is based on Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name first published in 2006. MGM is debuting The Road in theaters nationwide on Thanksgiving weekend, November 26th.

Pin It

Related categories: First Look, Hype, Movie News

Duffc

Just finished the book and these photos look great, Viggo is one of my favs!
http://www.AnotherMovieGuide.com Rick Boyer

Can you tell me who did your layout? I've been looking for one kind of like yours. Thank you.
StabmasterArson

This looks so fucking good.
twispious

either way,people will complain about the film being a departure from the book.because the book was simply too complex,im sure people will want to see some sort of serene love story but it looks like the people being undead part is made a major part of the story whereas in the book it was simply some sort of outline to the father/child plot.
Joel

Very exciting! The book is fantastic even though it is an exhausting read. If they capture even a small part of the emotion of the book they will have a really great movie. I was hoping Tom Hanks would play the lead, the ability to show despair and hopelessness that he used in Cast Away would have been a huge asset in this movie. But I think Viggo was a great choice as well. And since The Proposition is one of my favorite movies ever, I'm excited to see John Hillcoat directing. This might wind up being as wonderful as No Country!
Darrin

i agree with no.5. it would probably end up better than no country.
dave13

So i'm not sure to be happy or insulted to know that the bleak, apocalypse winter scenes were shot in Pittsburgh... they must have needed a bridge. yeah, thats it. a bridge. where else are there bridges other than pittsburgh? photos are sweet though. maybe i'll find time to read the book.
Richard

man I wanna see this so bad, then I want to read the book, that way I don't get let down by the movie and still get even more enjoyment from the book.
Tom

I know nothing about the story but Omar (Michael Williams) better woop some ass
Chasw

I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. I hope the movie will do the same for me.
Bridget

This is one of my favorite books and with Viggo in it I'm really looking forward to seeing it.
http://www.youtube.com/snears Nick Sears

uhhhhhhhhhhhhh, isn't that 5 photos?
http://tinyurl.com/5vg6w shantiquax

The choice of Viggo M. is perfection, and will surely bring folks to the movie who might be turned off by the bleak story. I know that I had to take breaks after every few pages as I read the book, lest I be overwhelmed with heartbreak. Michael K. Williams is a powerhouse whose talents get squandered in the usual (non-Omar) thug roles, so this should be a great opportunity for him. No wonder he was sporting that grizzly old-man beard in Season 5 of The Wire.
Mr. Pockets

This is my favorite McCarthy book. Hope it pulls from the book as well as NCFOM did
alex L

This looks great! I recently read Blood Meridian, which propelled Mccarthy onto my list of favorite authors, and I am about to start All the Pretty Horses (maybe I'll watch the movie afterward). Cormac's genius lies in how he uses the english language itself, and I fear that could be lost in film adaptation, althugh i have yet to see or read no country for old men. Maybe those should be next on my to watch/ to read lists.
http://www.myspace.com/kevjohnphotography kevjohn

Probably shouldn't judge a film by a couple of great stills, but this looks awesome! Then again, I'm sure they could have gotten a handful of great stills from the Kevin Costner post-apocalyptic snoozefests Waterworld and The Postman. I hate the title. First thing I think of when I hear "The Road" is the classic Tenacious D song.
Matt Suhu

this book sucked! it was way overhyped for me that i absolutely hated it. it was absolutely boring. i really hope this film adaption does justice to its not-so-deserved praise.
zubzwank

I used to love the post-apocalyptic genre, which started in the 50's/60's during the cold war nuclear fear era. It has been well done many times (On The Beach, many TV shows, Planet of the Apes, Mad Max movies), but has been overdone for a while (Steel Dawn? Cherry 2000? (which I actually kinda like) Postman?). The Road (in book form) is such a different take on it, not really focused on the usual post- apocalyptic motifs (ruined cities, marauding gangs, mutants) as on the relationship of the man and his son and their struggle to survive. It is the emotional content derived from this that makes the book. If the movie can convey this,--and we know Viggo is an excellent actor--It'll be very worthwhile.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Looks good. I have a question though (didn't read the book), how big of a part does Theron have as the Wife????
Boxer

Ryan: If the movie stays close to the book, she only appears in a few brief flashbacks.
Curtis

even though there just pictures this movie looks amazing.
breach

Looks great, Viggo never disappointed in his films.
Tony

I can't wait to see this film! I agree with the folks who like Viggo M. as the guy, I think he'll be great! @#4 - People being undead is a major part of the film? What?! I don't think so. @ #17 - Respectfully, I disagree completely. This book was beautiful. One of those "can't put it down" reads for me. Maybe it's because I'm a father, maybe it's because I'm a fan of the genre, but I absolutely loved it.
zubzwank

Tony, you are correct. There are no "undead" in this story (at least not in the book, and better not be in the movie!). There is no "supernatural" theme at all, including beings other than garden-variety humans, albeit in dehumanizing circumstances. THIS IS NOT IN ANY WAY A ZOMBIE OR VAMPIRE STORY.
john of sparta

because the book took me 5 hours to read, a standard 2 hour movie will have to be culled. well, at least a little bit. for the movie, (not film...film is so last millennium) the "wife" part will be expanded, or else she has 8 seconds. that's the time ratio of book reading to "wife" references. finally, there is no Resolution in the book. the fight goes on. there is a Happy Ending because they get there. almost like Moses who led his people to the Promised Land but he dies before he gets there. well, the Bible is a best-selling book.
joshua stone

there is no happy ending... hopefully EVERYONE will get to see this movie to remind us all of where we are now heading... if done right - this movie will send a collective shiver down humanitie's spine because the book spares no punches... An apocalyptic vision not necessarily caused by nuclear war, maybe we just run out of oil...
http://www.myspace.com/all_in_deep_shit Shane

I just finished the book and these pictures are amazing. I really do hope that the movie can express some of the sutler emotions from the book. The novel was one of (f not the only) from memory that has almost bought me to tears.
chris

I loved the book. I am bery happy that viggo will play in this movie. I am looking forward to see him in this role, but i am sure that he will not disappoint us.
chris

#25 ARE YOU GREEK? ...YOU KNOW SPARTA...
Brian Addonisio

This book was a bore! Predictable and slow. If you liked it it means you have no reference to any real sci-fi, I could name ten books with a comparative plot with a better story, this story had no beginning or end. A movie of this book would be as bad as No country for old men. Its like looking at a pollock painting and pretending you understand the meaning because the so called experts think its fascinating. GAG!
Ricardo

Brian, if you think the "experts" think that Pollock paintings have "meaning," or if you stand there trying to "understand" them as if they were some kind of narrative, you have not only missed the boat but chances are you never even got near the dock in the first place. Next: "The Road" is not only not a science fiction novel, its plot is vastly different from other apocalyptic novels including Mad Max, Road Warrior, On the Beach, A Canticle for Leibowitz...you go right ahead and name them if you wish; they won't match up anyway. The main difference is in the encompassing deadness of the world, the depiction of a total nuclear winter. No other apocalyptics even come close to the sere bleakness of this one. It sounds to me like you're just a very conventional reader who needs some kind of easily encompassable payoff to make you like a book. Well, that's fine, you're entitled to your blinkered tastes. Unfortunately, you have projected, with supreme egotism, your own limited notion of what fiction should be as some kind of gold standard for evaluating literature. God knows there are plenty of books like that out there. Stick to them and don't bother trying to challenge yourself again.
Brian Addonisio

Hay Ricardo, Your a pompous ass just like the people of whom I wrote about, You said nothing, but you used a lot of words to express it. The reason I linked this book to science fiction is because the premise is taken from themes that has been around since "War Of The Worlds" written over a hundred years ago. Nothing was poetic about this book. The book started with a man an a boy walking nowhere to nowhere and had to avoid death at every turn because of the breakdown of society, thats the gist of it with nothing a simple minded person assumes would happen, so What did I miss? Listen, I know people liked the book, my mother loved it, This isn't great American literature, it's just a boring short story (or what should have been a short story). I also understand that everyone has there own opinion of art, but when you throw a hand full of crap at a canvas maby it's not art but rather a shitty piece of cloth.
gordon kohler

a simple mind indeed.
Bobby Winters

Brian, Maybe your mom brought something to this that you didn't. I wouldn't've appreciated this when I was 20 or 30, but I loved it when reading it earlier this year. Anyway, we all have our opinions. http://www.morningsun.net/homepage/x379969009/On-McCarthys-The-Road
Tony

Brian, I certainly think you're entitled to your opinion, we all are, but to say "If you liked it it means you have no reference to any real sci-fi" is a little ridiculous, don't you think? I think that's a pretty outrageous claim. I love sci-fi, all sorts of it, I have since I was a kid. I have a very comprehensive library of it, and a very solid understanding of it as a genre. I also loved this book and, despite your claim, those two things are NOT mutually exclusive. I won't get too much into why I liked the book, it's probably not worth our time to discuss that here, but I will say that I think the answer to your question "What did I miss?" may be this: It sounds like you missed an incredible story about a father facing some of the most difficult things a father can face when trying to raise and protect a young boy. The dying planet, the decimation of society, these things are just backdrops to a really, really great story about a father and son. Just my two cents.
Brian Addonisio

To all Who Ripped me, Maby I was too harsh on the book and expressed my thoughts to strongly without thinking them trough. I've been reading Sci-Fi an watching just about every movie ever made in this genre since i was a young boy. with that said It's the zombie flicks that turn me on even the bad ones (and most of them are bad.) Now bare with me... the leading storyline in a zombie flick is "How to stay Alive" not so much of the suspension of disbelief of how does a body move with no blood circulating or why it wants to eat human flesh. What would you do If the world that you knew was over and you had to survive without the knowledge of basic survival skills? What if their was a nuclear holocaust. and the plants and the animals died? what would you do?. This is the question in "The Road" pretty simple to me because I've studied that question for years. The problem I have with "The Road" is this is a fair plot line but like "No country for old men" McCarthy is lazy and lets the reader fill in the blanks, To me the blanks are Obvious and if I wanted to do his work I want the credit. Otherwise I read a book for entertanment and escapism but on the other hand I do like to use my imagination but not to write the rest of the story for him. Sorry if I offended anyone. Brian Addonisio
Road Warrior

I liked this book very much. It's one of those you read in a matter of hours; one of those books you find yourself thinking about often after you're done. My summary of the book would be, "Haunting, compelling, sad, bleak, frigid." I'm pleased with Mortenson cast as the father, although while reading the book I pictured Clive Owen, to which I blame a recent viewing of "Children of Men." I knew the boy had to be a relative unknown (if you've read the book you might agree). The wife? Didn't at all have to be Theron, but, sure, why not? At the very least she'll add a little sunshine At the very least I'll be interested in seeing how this adapts. However, I would warn people that this will NOT be the feel-good movie of the year.
daniel

I just read the book in two sittings it was so great. The images seem true to McCarthy's vision. Viggo is a perfect cast. I can't wait to see it. If the movie is as good as the book, I don't see why it shouldn't win the oscar.
http://strawmansblog.blogspot.com Strawman

Picked this book up recently and knew I should've put it back on the shelf. Not because I thought it wouldn't be good but rather because it would be too good. I am a widowed father of a young son and couldn't have put it down if I tried. And yeah, the book made me cry as I knew it would when I read the cover. It is precisely because of this imagined scenario that I find myself trying to teach my son all the things I can possibly imagine he may need to know for that day when I'll no longer be able to teach him. At the end I found myself crying not for my own mortality through the father in the book, but because all my teaching may not be enough for a boy adrift in a world that I couldn't prepare him for. And yeah, I'll probably go see the movie as well. But not with my son.
mother of five

Brian, I appreciated your last post, but must warn you that asking someone to "bare with you" is best reserved for bedrooms. In the instance of heated discussions, it might be best if you ask us to shoulder the burden of patience whilst you explain, or more simply put, "bear with you". This reminded of me when one of my teens suggested we "nip it in the butt", which is quickly become a slightly amorous and somewhat illogical alternative to the proper expression "nip it in the bud". Strawman, I couldn't imagine being in your situation and reading this book. It left me with a gaping hole in my stomach simply as a mother. Personally, I'm not entirely sure I wouldn't have opted for infanticide/suicide if I were the father. I was wiping away tears throughout the book. And yes, to all, this book is not about science fiction, or even about the creative imagination of Armageddon - there are myriad excellent examples of those. This book is about a father and his son, the reality of life, the ethics we try to teach our children yet fail to exemplify, and ultimately the challenge of preparing our children and ourselves for our mortality. In the book, which shows us so quickly the stark and barren world of the characters, it seems like they've been on the road forever. Sometimes it's easy to forget that the horrors mentioned above (humans as cellar cattle, roasting babies) are being experienced in the book for the first time for the boy, who was probably relatively sheltered until they moved from the place where they would be unable to last another winter. To imagine guiding my own children through such an experience is to look into the dark corners of my soul. It's neither a pleasant nor subtle experience, yet one that should be undertaken.
Martha Flowers

Brian, If you happen to be from middle village, it seems that little has changed. May I offer a suggestion... Aside of grammar check, our opinions are merely delusion of a reality that exists only in our heads... to claim them as the yard stick by which all is measured is to be obtuse and egocentric. Medford, Middle village the ego lives on. : ) Bare with you - that one is awesome!!! Martha P.S. If you are not from Middle village never mind...
http://imdb.com DeepBizThroat

I have heard great things. I have also heard that the rumors that Charlize Theron's part as the wife has been slightly slightly expanded in some flashback sequences that weren't in the book, is true, but they are subtle enough, they won't sway readers to much. But from the legit rumor mill, they kept the movie pretty close to the novel. They are trying to make a film, not a movie. Ala the 'No Country' Ending, the peanut gallery, action flick joes will be disappointed with the complexity of the story telling, there will be no 'resolutions or new exposition explaining why things are the way they are in this piece, but this is Vigo's Oscar flick, FYI, he has paid his dues and wouldn't have signed on unless they made this movie authentic. The book won the Pulitzer Prize, this isn't some Stephen King book that can be bent or molded for the screen. This is a Pulitzer Prize winning piece of fiction. And to the idiot at post #25, READ THE BOOK AND THEN COMMENT, happy ending... I almost cried. I don't think a book has ever made me cry. Idiot. Also I think Michael K. Williams (Omar) is going for a Best Supporting Male with this pic. This is a awrad season drama, this thing is going to be amazing.
shantiquax

Yes, yes, on Michael K. Williams. First of all, get the darn thing released, and second of all, please don't have edited him all out - his character reveals a lot about the son's existing humanity in spite of his father's desire to survive. And third, do a good enough pr push otherwise the stupid academy will be going: Michael Who? Just like the Emmy's did with the entire Wire cast, but especially the amazing Mr. Williams. Oh please let The Road be released on the big screen. I have goose bumps just thinking about it. I think I cried every other page. I had to will myself to keep reading, and even so, I read it in a day and a half.
Dade

I will probably go see this movie because I have read the book and I like Viggio. But I will have to swallow hard. The horrors that are described in the book are tough to deal with. In the book, McCarthy casts a spell that will hold you transfixed. But it is a dark, dark spell. I can't say I liked the book. I suppose someone could say it's because I'm too afraid to face the truths it reveals. If that's so... well, as "the boy" would say: Okay. http://dadecariaga.blogspot.com/2009/01/book-review-road.html
Brian Addonisio

Your a bunch girls, the book sucked! What the hell did you read? You are all acting like this is the most original thing you ever read. You Cried? What? Intellectuals I Cant Spell well But I read Just Fine.
Katdad

I've read all of McCarthy's books. I knew him some years ago -- a fascinating brilliant guy. I'm fortunate to own a signed first edition of Blood Meridian. "The Road" is definitely bleak. Although McCarthy only hints at the cause of the disaster, I believe it's a meteor strike. Despite all the blather, human activity could not cause this sort of total destruction. Looking forward to the movie. BTW, McCarthy's best novel is "Blood Meridian". Ridley Scott has been initially selected to direct the movie but he's hesitant because of the thorough and endless blood and mayhem in the novel. I strongly recommend "Blood Meridian" but a warning -- it's not for the faint of heart. Also, if you buy the new hardcover Modern Library edition, SKIP the intro by Harold Bloom. Too many spoilers, so please read it after.
zubzwank

#46 Katdad- You don't think global thermonuclear war could cause this kind of destruction? So, none of the scenarios developed by people--real life ones like defense department analysts and military scenarists, not fiction writers-- since the 50's are valid? Like the ones Robert McNamara (google him) and cohorts have since admitted to--like MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)? And there were a lot less nukes around then. I don't think it's all "blather." I think you are probably young and/or naive. Btw, I've just started "Blood Meridian." The kid is heading west.
mph66

I've been scouring the 'Net looking for a release date. There seems to be total information blackout after the December 2008 rumors came and went. Anyone else out there hear anything new? And I've just arrived here, but Brian, you're going to need to do a lot of growing to get out of those rubber underpants before you're 12.
MERCE- FROM SPAIN-

where can we watch te movie in the cinemas? anibody knows that? please, answer me
MERCE- FROM SPAIN-

sorry, when can we wach the movie on cinema?
Dade Cariaga

Ahora no es posible. La película no esta listos.
Ryan

Brian, You are young. You read sci-fi. You will not understand this book. This book is not subtitled "How To Survive the Zombie Apocalypse". It's about the paralyzing fears a parent faces when they realize they won't always be able to protect their children. The prose is superior to the plot details. McCarthy isn't lazy, you are. You are SUPPOSED to fill in the blank spaces. You are supposed to think a little about symbolism and metaphor. You're supposed to find something to relate to your own experience. Which is probably why you don't understand the book. You can't. You're letting sci-fi pulp authors explain everything in detail to you so you can escape your own experience. This is a different type of book altogether.
Dave

I loved this book. I hated this book. I was afraid to pick it up again. I wanted to throw it away, pretend that it never existed. I had to force myself to finish it. Everything feels in doubt now. I have three children. Read William H. Kunstler ( books: The Long Emergency and A World Made By Hand ) and you will really start to freak-out.
Maggie

This is one of the worst books I have ever read. How grim can a book be when there is no purpose? It made me feel ill with the turn of each page and what is the point of that when we read for pleasure? I have children and I think this book is unrealistic - and I am not. Maggie March 2009
christina

Sorry for that Maggie, but I think you didn't understand the "purpose" of the book!
shantiquax

Not to change the subject, but did Maggie see Pan's Labyrinth? It was grim and made me feel ill - except for the moments of pure cinematic pleasure thanks to the imagination of the filmmakers. I think the power of Cormac McCarthy's stories is the purposefulness of their characters' every action.
http://imdb.com i8maggie

Look, Not to be flippant or rude, but Maggies comments are idiotic, perhaps she wrote what she said quickly. A) Won the Pulitzer Prize, meaning its probably pretty decent, or at least, if not slightly above par (one of the worst books I have ever read, is how Maggie described it.) B) She says she has children and thinks the book is unrealistic? Really? So, in a post apocalyptic world. where there is no civilized society, she wouldn't fight tooth and nail for her child's future and safety? She would just cook dinner and tune into Entertainment Tonight while the kids played upstairs? Come on people. Buckle up and smarten up here. Also she wrote "It made me feel ill with the turn of each page and what is the point of that when we read for pleasure?" You know Maggie, there are different types of "reading". Like I read for instance when I'm headed to a restroom, I look for the door that says "Gentlemen", "Men" or has a symbol that resembles a human body sans breasts and a skirt. Also, when I "read" Calvin and Hobbes, I know that Calvin will not undergo a molestation scandal at his grade school and deal with those repercussion with Hobbes. However, when I "read" a fucking masterpiece from Cormac McCarthy, I expect at some point in time to come on a head-on collision with THE FACT THAT LIFE CAN DEAL YOU SOME RAW SHIT. Honestly.
Chris

I do not read much, listened to the Road on Audio book. Probably going to carry these images with me for life. It really hit me as a father. A simple thought is would we all not want to be this kind of father? But careers and money and temptation get in the way. Don't our sons and daughters deserve to be our everything in our current lives, or do we need this type of event so they are actually our everything. Another reason the book hit me so hard is the fact it is not far fetched. Not in the least.
john brennan

As my profession is town planning, it's my job to prevent Armageddon by redesigning road grids and voila reducing pollution and green house gasses. To this end I purchased this "work of art" in hard back edition (all my books are hard back) hoping to gain some understanding of this American's authors take on road design in your great continent. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered there isn't any meaningful observations relating to roads or even cars (I think there's only one truck in the entire book). I agree with Brian above if it's SiFi shouldn't the preferred mode of transport depicted be futuristic not a stupid cart with wobbly wheels?
shantiquax

What are you, Stephen Colbert, Jr.?
zubzwank

#59, this is a joke, right? You didn't really buy the book to help with road planning, right? You know, I'm a teacher. I think I'll listen to "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stiils, etc., to learn how to do lesson plans. That's a thigh slapper, John.
http://redneckmath.blogspot.com Bobby Winters

Yes, I think #59 is being just a tad sarcastic for the sake of making a very good point.
shantiquax

"...if it's SiFi shouldn't the preferred mode of transport depicted be futuristic not a stupid cart with wobbly wheels?" Yeah, if McCarthy had written about rocket ships instead of shopping carts, the cannibals could've cooked the neighbor folk in the flames coming out of the rocket's ass. Plus, the father could blast the bad guys with his raygun, and they wouldn't have to be searching for food because they could just eat their freeze-dried roast beef pellets. What was he thinking, that he was writing some kind of cautionary tale or something?
Ez

This was one of the most powerful books I've read in a very long time! I can hardly imagine the movie being nearly as good but I certainly hope so! If only the game Fallout 3 were more like the book then gaming would have truely become an art form!
christina sotiriou

Wow! At last the release date is announced: 16 October! I can't wait!!! They, also, said, a trailer is coming soon!!!
Angela

this book is amazing. i just finished reading it in my junior english class now, we are in the process of analyzing the book and trying to find the real meaning behind it. Cormac McCarthy is an amazing arthur. I would love to read more of his books which i plan on doing this summer.
Jonathan Stein

I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. This is the most moving tale I've read in many years and I'm eagerly waiting for the film. If it's anything near what it should be it's a shoo-in for an Oscar.
Duncan MacDougall

When does the movie com out?