IFC films has today shared the first look at Owen Wilson in Paint, in which the actor is equipped with with sky-high curls, a well-loved palette, and a stunning canvas full of happy little trees. You’re thinking, “this is certainly a Bob Ross biopic.” Alas, the funnyman isn’t playing the late great PBS personality, but a different, fictional public television artist.
Paint is an upcoming comedy film hailing from writer-director Brit McAdams, and in a sort of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood style, it seems to put a satirical twist on Ross’ legacy. Owen’s iteration of the painter is named Carl Nargle, a local favorite public TV personality in Vermont famed for his distinctive perm and encouraging mantras.
Ross’ career encountered very few speedbumps; his PBS show The Joy of Painting had a highly successful run from 1983-1994, and the internet has fondly helped his star grow following his death from lymphoma in 1995. For Carl Nargle, however, things aren’t so easy: Everything he loves about his comfortable life is at risk when ratings at the station plummet, prompting his bosses to bring in a younger, better, and more hip artist.
Paint promises to be just as heartfelt as it is funny, so it looks like it’ll do right by the oft–spoofed Ross, even amid the plot’s conflict. Wendi McLendon-Covey and Stephen Root are also set to star, and its release date is currently slated for April 28th, 2023.
Wilson most recently starred as a normal dude who miraculously woos a famous woman opposite Jennifer Lopez in the rom-com Marry Me.