The Road may have put him on the international movie making map but for those more discerning types, John Hillcoat first came to their attention with the blistering antipodean Western The Proposition in 2005. If you haven’t seen it, sort that out immediately.

Hillcoat is set to tread somewhat familiar territory with his latest effort Lawless. That title was nabbed from Terrence Malick when the latter congenially offered it up and conceals the fact that this film is set to be based on the novel The Wettest Country in the World by Matt Bondurant.



The story does in fact deal with Bondurant’s real life ancestors, who operated a moonshining operation out of their Virginia home during the dangerous height of the Prohibition era in the early 20th Century. In the film, the Bondurant brothers are played by Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy with supporting roles for Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain.

Today, we’ve got a look at the first theatrical trailer for Lawless and it’s looking mighty fine – combining a Western feel with lush lensing and a dash of the trademarked violence Hillcoat has become associated with.


Even LaBeouf might not be able to ruin this one.

Lawless is set to premiere in competition at Cannes in May before hitting screens in the states in late August. We would expect a European release during the winter but The Road was delayed into the new year and that could well happen again. More as we get it.