Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, Starring Groff, Schreiber, Fogler & More, Sets Release Date

Taking Woodstock, the new film by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee Brokeback Mountain, Hulk, The Ice Storm is set to be released on August 14 from Focus Features. The movie’s cast includes many familiar faces from the theater, including Tony nominee Jonathan Groff Spring Awakening, Hair in the central role of Woodstock producer Michael Lang.

Set in 1969, Taking Woodstock is the true story of Elliot Tiber Demetri Martin, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the famed happening it was. Working as an interior designer in Greenwich Village, Tiber felt empowered by the gay rights movement. But he was also staked to the family business, a Catskills motel. Hearing that a planned concert had lost its permit from the neighboring town of Wallkill, NY, Tiber called producer Michael Lang at Woodstock Ventures to offer his motel. Soon the Woodstock staff was moving into the El Monaco; half a million people were on their way to the farm of Tiber’s neighbor Max Yasgur Eugene Levy; and Tiber found himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

In addition to Groff, Martin and Levy, Taking Woodstock also features theater vets Liev Schreiber, Dan Fogler, Henry Goodman, Imelda Staunton, Skylar Astin, Kevin Chamberlin, Paul Dano, Kelli Garner, Mamie Gummer, Daniel Eric Gold, Jeremy Shamos, Katherine Waterston and Richard Thomas.

Written by James Schamus, Taking Woodstock is based on the book by Elliot Tiber with Tom Monte.