Film - Welcome to Marwen

Robert Zemeckis directs Steve Carell in what's being billed as "the most original movie of the year." Inspired by a true story, watch the trailer for Welcome to Marwen...

Welcome to Marwen tells the true story of one broken man’s fight as he discovers how artistic imagination can restore the human spirit. It's inspired by the story of Mark Hogancamp who, on April 8th, 2000, was attacked by five men and left for dead outside of a bar in Kingston, NewYork. After nine days in a coma, he awoke to find he had no memory of his previous adult life. He had to relearn how to eat, walk and write.

When his state-sponsored rehabilitative therapies ran out, Mark took his recovery into his own hands. In his backyard, he created a new world entirely within his control - a 1:6 scale World War II town he named Marwencol. Using doll alter egos of his friends and family, his attackers and himself, Mark enacted epic battles and recreated memories, which he captured in strikingly realistic photographs. This was all documented in both a book and documentary, Marwencol, and you can see some of Hogancamps actual photographs on the Marwencol website.

In the new film, written and directed by Zemeckis - the filmmaker behind Forrest Gump, Flight and Cast Away - when a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (played by Steve Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation—a testament to the most powerful women he knows—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one. 

Also starring Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever, Janelle Monáe, Eiza González, Gwendolyn Christie, Leslie Zemeckis and Neil Jackson, the film hits the big screens in the UK on January 11th next year.



The epic drama is produced by Oscar®-winning producer Steve Starkey (Forrest Gump, Flight), Jack Rapke (Cast Away, Flight), and Cherylanne Martin (The Pacific, Flight) of Zemeckis’ Universal-based ImageMovers banner produce alongside the director. It is executive produced by Jackie Levine, as well as Jeff Malmberg, who directed the 2010 documentary Marwencol that inspired the film.

Image - Universal Studios, info - Marwencol website.