The highly awaited documentary Peter O’Toole – Along the Sky Road to Aqaba will air exclusively on BritBox on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. The documentary tells the career of British icon Peter O’Toole, who achieved fame for his parts in Shakespearean plays and received worldwide renown for his appearances in films such as Lawrence of Arabia, What’s New Pussycat, and Becket, among others.
Along the Sky Road to Aqaba premiered on the Spanish film festival circuit in November 2022 and has since received great reviews from reviewers. The following was the Times’ review of the documentary:
“Intense, lovingly compiled documentary…Kenneth Branagh, Brian Cox, Anthony Hopkins, Derek Jacobi, Stephen Fry, and many more, in clips from archival material, gush about what an inspiration he was, loving to drink to excess but being ultra-disciplined when it came to work.”
Likewise, The Telegraph’s review stated:
“This was an engrossing portrait of one of our greatest actors and a prototypical hellraiser.”
The documentary is directed by Jim Sheridan and written by Catriona Rogan, with producers Brion O’Flaherty, Simon Shire, Liam Beatty, and Edwina Forkin.
The new trailer for Peter O’Toole’s Along the Sky Road to Aqaba includes snatches of talks with seasoned performers.
The documentary tries to bring to light the actor’s colorful and flamboyant life via not just old films of him, but also anecdotes from intimate friends and family that the public is unaware of. It features interviews with O’Toole’s family as well as famous artists, actors, and filmmakers like Sir Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Succession’s Brian Cox.
The documentary’s director, Jim Sheridan, indicated that he knew Peter O’Toole well and that he would do his best to authentically reflect the late actor’s colorful life in his documentary. In an interview with Irish Examiner, he discussed his relationship with the actor:
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“I knew him well; he was a nice guy.” He assisted me while I was heading the Irish Arts Center in New York. He was featured in Brendan Behan’s The Hostage for us there. It generated quite a commotion. Kate, his daughter, was there. One night, we were lacking one actor. He was in New York at the time, so he came along and did the role.”
He went on to say:
“He was very sweet, but he was always acting.” Greater than life. His father was a bookie. To be successful, bookmakers must be flashy. Peter took it from the da. He was completely out of place.”
It will be fascinating to see how the long-awaited documentary delves into the late actor’s life while keeping honest, compelling, and true.
The official summary says he “brought a touch of danger to his art and a stroke of madness to his life.”
According to BritBox, the official summary for the planned documentary is as follows:
“Peter O’Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba” is a documentary on the great actor Peter O’Toole, who inspired a generation of filmmakers while bringing a touch of danger to his craft and a stroke of lunacy to his life. The film is divided into four acts, each of which begins with a remark about Peter O’Toole that captures his life during a separate moment.”
It goes on to say:
“Each act develops into a comprehensive narrative, addressing issues such as his self-belief, alcoholism, relationships with women, belief in socialism, and selective embrace of Irishness.” While O’Toole’s comments (culled from hundreds of hours of archive interviews) serve as a narrator of his own journey, filmmaker Jim Sheridan expands on the tale with interviews from O’Toole’s relatives, artists, actors, and directors who knew him well.”
