On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, the long-awaited documentary Peter O’Toole – Along the Sky Road to Aqaba will premiere exclusively on BritBox.
The documentary follows the career of British icon Peter O’Toole, who rose to prominence in Shakespearean plays and gained international acclaim for roles in films such as Lawrence of Arabia, What’s New Pussycat, and Becket, among others. Along the Sky Road to Aqaba premiered in November 2022 on the Spanish film festival circuit and has since received positive reviews from critics. The New York Times reviewed the documentary as follows:
“An intense, lovingly crafted documentary…In archival footage, Kenneth Branagh, Brian Cox, Anthony Hopkins, Derek Jacobi, Stephen Fry, and others gush about what an inspiration he was, loving to drink to excess but being ultra-disciplined at work.”
Similarly, according to The Telegraph’s review:
“This was an engrossing portrait of one of our greatest actors and the prototypical hellraiser.”
Jim Sheridan directed and Catriona Rogan wrote the documentary, which was produced by 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 snippets of interviews with veteran actors
The documentary attempts to shed light on the actor’s colorful and flamboyant life by using not only old footage of him, but also anecdotes from close friends and family that the general public is unaware of. It includes interviews with O’Toole’s family as well as well-known artists, actors, and filmmakers such as Sir Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Brian Cox from Succession.
Jim Sheridan, the documentary’s director, stated that he knew Peter O’Toole well and that he would do his best to accurately reflect the late actor’s colorful life in his documentary. He discussed his relationship with the actor in an interview with Irish Examiner:
“I knew him pretty well; he was a nice guy.” He helped me when I was in charge of the Irish Arts Center in New York. For us, he appeared in Brendan Behan’s The Hostage. It caused quite a commotion. Kate, his daughter, was also present. We were missing one actor one night. He happened to be in New York at the time, so he stepped in.”
He continued, saying:
“He was very sweet, but he was always acting.” More powerful than life. His father worked as a bookmaker. Bookmakers must be flashy in order to be successful. Peter took it from his father. He appeared to be completely out of place.”
It will be interesting to see how the long-awaited documentary explores the late actor’s life while remaining honest, compelling, and true.
According to the official bio, he “brought a touch of danger to his art and a stroke of madness to his life.”
The official summary for the planned documentary, according to BritBox, is as follows:
“Peter O’Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba” is a documentary about the great actor Peter O’Toole, who inspired a generation of filmmakers while bringing a touch of danger and lunacy to his craft and life. The film is divided into four acts, each of which starts with a remark about Peter O’Toole that captures his life at a different point in time.”
It continues, saying:
“Each act develops into a comprehensive narrative, addressing issues such as his self-belief, alcoholism, relationships with women, socialism, and selective embrace of Irishness.” While O’Toole’s words (culled from hundreds of hours of archive interviews) serve as a narrator of his own journey, filmmaker Jim Sheridan fleshes out the story with interviews from O’Toole’s relatives, artists, actors, and directors who knew him well.”
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