Who among us can fully wrap our minds around the power of painters like Bob Ross, who taught us all how to paint landscapes, love life, and believe in ourselves a little more than we did before? Well, one movie certainly appears set on trying to celebrate figures like that on as broad a canvas as possible. “Paint,” well, paints a picture of Carl Nargle, a star TV painter who’s something of a minor celebrity among his adoring fans in Vermont. But, as you might expect in a quirky-looking movie like this, everything changes when a rival appears on the scene and turns Carl’s entire world upside down.
“Paint” comes from director Brit McAdams, who based the script on the one that actually achieved the prestigious honor of landing on the Black List (the annual list of the best-unproduced screenplays, as ranked by industry veterans) back in 2010, which we covered here at the time. In the years since, the picture has finally entered production and snatched up Owen Wilson for the lead role. In addition, it also features supporting actors Michaela Watkins, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ciara Renee, Lusia Strus, Stephen Root, and Lucy Freyer.
Originally dated for a release on April 28, 2023, the film will drop into theaters a little ahead of schedule on April 7, 2023, and stream exclusively on AMC+ later in the year (as reported by Deadline).
Owen Wilson portrays Carl Nargle, Vermont’s #1 public television painter who is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke … until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) Carl loves.