John Travolta goes crazy in the newly released trailer for The Fanatic. Directed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, the thriller features John Travolta as a celebrity stalker. In March 2018, the film was first announced under the working title “Moose.”

In 2007, Durst released his feature debut The Education of Charlie Banks, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, and Sebastian Stan. Produced for $5 million, the drama film earned only $15,000 at the box office, although Durst won the Made in NY Narrative Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. The Education of Charlie Banks currently holds a 47 percent score at Rotten Tomatoes. For Durst’s second feature, The Longshots, he teamed up with Ice Cube and Keke Palmer. The sports film similarly earned mixed reviews, but further established Durst’s potential as a filmmaker. For The Fanatic, Durst paired Travolta with Canadian actor Devon Sawa, who famously portrayed the character Stan in Eminem’s 2000 stalker-themed music video of the same name; the inspiration for what’s now known as “Stan Culture.”

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On YouTube, Quiver Distribution released The Fanatic’s unnerving trailer. The trailer begins with a wide shot of Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, with the famous Hollywood sign appearing in the background. After a brief montage featuring Sawa, a graphic reveals a quotation by his character Hunter Dunbar: “You Are A Fan. Without You I’m Nothing.” This sets the tone for the introduction of Travolta's awkward character, Moose, a man who sports a Hawaiian shirt and a questionable haircut. During the trailer’s first half, Moose seeks out his celebrity fave, Dunbar, and ultimately comes face to face with the actor at his gated home. The video's final 30 seconds show Moose tying up Dunbar, with the latter appearing to fight back in self-defense. As a whole, The Fanatic trailer presses hard on thriller tropes, with the Stan twist adding a thin layer of intrigue. Check out the clip below. 

From to 1997 to 2003, Limp Bizkit released four wildly successful albums. Led by the charismatic and outspoken Durst, the Nu Metal band became a staple of the Total Request Live era on MTV, thanks to singles like “Nookie," “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle),” and “My Way.” In addition, Limp Bizkit recorded “Take a Look Around” for the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack, which became an international hit. Since then, Durst has mostly remained out of the spotlight, much like other lead Nu Metal singers from the early 21st century. Meanwhile, Travolta’s career trajectory has been spiraling downward since earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as defense attorney Robert Shapiro in the 2016 FX series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Infamously, his mafia biopic Gotti completely flopped at the box office and was savaged by critics last year.

Based on The Fanatic’s trailer, Durst is re-telling a familiar story. The Stan twist may create some buzz, along with Travolta’s casting, but the film’s success will ultimately depend on the lead performances and the directorial polish. For the visuals, Durst hired cinematographer Conrad W. Hall, who began his career as David Fincher’s camera operator for the 1990s classics Se7en and Fight Club. Perhaps The Fanatic could be a sleeper VOD hit when it releases later this year. 

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Source: Quiver Distribution