Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
by Alex Billington
July 21, 2026
Source: YouTube
“If you’re scared, why do you still want to jump?” “Every time I come off that jump, oh they respect you now, boy.” IFC has revealed their official US trailer for this biopic comedy known as The Stunt Driver, a story about Canada’s stuntman Ken Carter and his famous rocket car jump in 1979. The Stunt Driver is the latest film by Canadian filmmaker Michael Dowse, best known for his films Fubar & Fubar: Balls to the Wall & What If, returning to Canada for this one. The film chronicles the daredevil stuntman Ken Carter’s quest to execute a bold stunt launching a rocket car across the St. Lawrence River from Canada into the US in the 1970s, facing absurd challenges along the way. Jay Baruchel stars as Ken Carter, with Ben Foster as his American rival Evel Knievel, Ed Helms as Dick Keller, plus Laurence Leboeuf, Dan Bakkedahl, Joe Cobden, and Marc Beaupré. They actually shot this on location at the real St. Lawrence River jump point. It’s inspired by the 1981 doc film The Devil at Your Heels about Ken Carter, he also seems to be the inspiration for the character “Duke Caboom” in Toy Story 4. One dream. One jump. One man crazy enough to go for it. Based on an insane true story (here’s two teasers). In US theaters in September the same time as it opens in Canada in just a few months. Also premiering at TIFF up in Canada before it zooms into theaters.
Here’s the official US trailer for Michael Dowse’s film The Stunt Driver, direct from IFC’s YouTube:
You can rewatch the teaser trailers for Dowse’s The Stunt Driver film right here for even more footage.
Set in the mid-70s, Canadian director Michael Dowse’s film The Stunt Driver recounts the true underdog story of Canada’s Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel), the world champion stunt driver who battles his personal demons and public doubt to attempt what everyone considers impossible – a mile-long jump across the St. Lawrence River in a rocket car. The Stunt Driver is written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Michael Dowse, director of the movies Fubar & Fubar: Balls to the Wall, It’s All Gone Pete Tong, Take Me Home Tonight, Goon, What If, Stuber, Coffee & Kareem, 8-Bit Christmas, and Trap House, plus work on the TV series “Me” & “The Sticky” recently. Based on the true story of “The Mad Canadian” stunt driver Ken Carter and the documentary The Devil at Your Heels. Produced by Michael Dowse and Jennifer Wilson. Filmed on location in Canada in Montreal and at the St. Lawrence River between Boucherville and Varennes. This will premiere at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival in Canada as a Special Presentation coming up in fall. Mongrel Media + IFC debut Dowse’s The Stunt Driver in Canadian + US theaters starting September 25th, 2026.
