Ezra Miller Stars as a Young Salvador Dalí in Gripping Trailer for 'Dalíland': Watch
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Dalíland is in theaters and on demand June 9
Ben Kingsley and Ezra Miller are Salvador Dalí like you've never seen him.
The actors portray the legendary surrealist's older and younger versions, respectively, in the upcoming film Dalíland, which follows the late Spanish painter — specifically, focusing on "the strange and fascinating marriage between Dalí and his wife, Gala (Barbara Sukowa), as their seemingly unshakable bond begins to stress and fracture," according to a synopsis.
"Set in New York and Spain in 1974, the film is told through the eyes of James (Christopher Briney), a young assistant keen to make his name in the art world, who helps the eccentric and mercurial Dalí prepare for a big gallery show," adds the synopsis for the film, which had its world premiere in September 2022 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The movie's trailer, which dropped Friday, focuses mostly on an older Dalí (Kingsley, 79) as he basks in his fame and fortune, enjoying a party-centric lifestyle, before taking on his new assistant, James.
By the end of the 2-minute preview, the previously lauded "genius" artist is shown having a steep decline in popularity and struggling with his image and marriage as James says to him, "I'm just trying to tell you the truth."
Aside from Kingsley, Miller, 30, Briney and Sukowa, 73, Dalíland also stars Rupert Graves, Suki Waterhouse and Andreja Pejic. The film is directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho), with a screenplay from John C. Walsh.
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Speaking about the time period of the film and how it's close to her heart, Harron, 70, said in a release, "As a young person who was naïve, non-threatening and very open to things, amazing things happened to me. I was invited to parties I never dreamed of getting invited to, people gave me jobs and for a couple of years, I stepped onto a merry-go-round."
"I wanted to make a film that evoked that wonderful time in my life. So we created James, the New York gallery assistant who becomes Dali's assistant who steps onto the merry-go-round," she continued, adding, "Obviously, at some point, the merry-go-round has to end."
"Or you get thrown off!" said Walsh.
Thanks to his surrealist artworks, Dalí, who died in 1989 at age 84, is considered one of the most prolific artists of the last century. According to Art Story, he was known for his flamboyant personality, and his work often conveyed themes of eroticism, death and decay.
His most famous works are arguably 1931's "The Persistence of Memory," famous for its display of melting watches against a barren landscape, and 1929's "The Great Masturbator," which depicts an erotic fantasy.
Related: Original Salvador Dalí Artwork Discovered in a North Carolina Thrift Store
After rumors began to spread that Dalíland may have omitted Miller from its final cut, Harron told Vanity Fair that while that isn't true, "I'm not condoning anything they've done wrong." (Miller uses they/them pronouns.)
"I think it doesn't matter how talented someone is, if they've done anything wrong, they have to face it," added the director in August 2022, ahead of the Toronto Film Festival. "I also think that clearly this is not just a young star acting out. This is much more serious. This seems like something that needs a serious intervention, which I hope has happened."
Harron's comments came after Miller issued an apology for their then-recent troubling behavior, and announced that they're seeking treatment for mental-health issues.
"Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment," The Flash actor said in a statement shared with PEOPLE via their rep in August 2022.
Dalíland is in theaters and on demand June 9.
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