Owen Wilson plays a Bob Ross-inspired painter
(Picture: IFC Films)The trailer for the upcoming film Paint has been released, offering fans a first glimpse of Owen Wilson as a TV painter inspired by American legend Bob Ross.
Ross was a painter and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional TV show that aired in the 80s and early 90s on the public TV channel PBS.
Wilson’s new film looks set to explore the world of public access TV, with him in the starring role of Carl Nargle.
Despite not being based entirely on Ross, Nargle sports Ross’s signature afro and instructs his viewers to paint nature scenes in a calm, almost meditative manner.
Although UK viewers may be less familiar with Ross, he achieved cult status in the US and his videos continue to circulate online, despite his TV show ending in 1994.
A YouTube channel dedicated to sharing his videos has more than 5 million subscribers and his videos gain millions of views.
A one-hour special of Ross painting “The Grandeur of Summer” has been viewed more than 33 million times.
He was also known for his inspiring quotes that help people with their painting — and life — including: “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents,” and “Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds. Yeah, they’re birds now.”
Audiences outside of the US will be introduced to the world of public access TV in the upcoming film.
Written and directed by Brit McAdams, Paint sees Nargle’s career threatened when a younger, better artist Ambrosia Long, played by Ciara Renée, becomes a popular TV painter.
Joining Wilson and Renée are Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids), Stephen Root (Office Space), and Denny Dillon (Dream On).
A release date for Paint has not yet been released, but the trailer teases that it’s coming soon.
