Steve Carell Is Almost Unrecognisable In 'Foxcatcher' [Trailer & Pictures]

Steve Carell is almost unrecognisable as paranoid schizophrenia and wrestling obsessive John du Pont in the upcoming film Foxcatcher. Directed by Bennett Miller who was responsible for such films as Capote, the film is based on the true story of two brothers, Dave and Mark Schultz, who were Olympic wrestling gold medallists.

Channing Tatum and Steve Carell in Foxcatcher.

Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street) stars as Mark whilst Mark Ruffalo (Begin Again) plays his brother Dave. Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement) also stars as du Pont's mother Jean, and Sienna Miller (Factory Girl) plays Dave's wife Nancy. The main cast is completed by Antony Michael Hall (The Dark Knight), who plays Du Pont's assistant.

Based on Mark's autobiography, Foxcatcher follows millionaire John du Pont (Carell) as his mental state gradually declines and he becomes more obsessed with the wrestling team he coaches. Du Pont even created a special wrestling training camp, Foxcatcher, near his country estate and named the wrestling team after the camp.

Both Schultz brothers went on to win gold medals at the Olympics during the Los Angeles 1984 games. But Dave's life ended in tragedy when he was shot by Du Pont in 1996.

Watch The Movie Trailer For Foxcatcher:

The film has been highly praised by critics following it showing at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Critics have been awed by the standard of acting and have particularly emphasised how impressive Carell's performance is. THR's Todd McCarthy described his complex portrayal as "career changing". Tatum and Ruffalo's performances have also been hailed as "superb" (Justin Chang, Variety).

One imagines the entire cast will be pleased by reviews, especially after how difficult the film was to shoot. Speaking to THR at Cannes in May, Carell and Tatum both described the difficulties of working on set. Tatum said "This movie was not fun, at all. It pretty much sucked the whole time, and it was a very, very painful experience, but in the best way."

Carell added how the quiet on set had been deliberately cultivated by Miller and that he had rarely had the opportunity to speak to his co-stars. He said "For Channing and me, honestly, coming to Cannes is, I think, the first time we have had a legitimate conversation. He added "It was a very quiet set, and Bennett purposely, I think, created that set to feel that way

Foxcatcher is due to be released in the US on 14th November 2014 and 9th January 2015 in the UK.

Foxcatcher is released in November in the US and January 2015 in the UK.