New film ‘The Stunt Driver’ chronicles Canada’s Evel Knievel

If you've never heard of Ken Carter and his rocket-car jump across the St. Lawrence, you're gonna wanna see this

- A new Canadian film looks back at Ken Carter, the legendary Montreal-born stunt driver - The movie centres on Carter’s planned mid-1970s jet-car jump across the St. Lawrence River - It stars Jay Baruchel and Ed Helms, and the planned release date is September 25 Readers hankering to visit a movie theatre this autumn may want to check out a new film based on the exploits of Ken Carter, a Canadian stunt driver who once laid out a plan to jump over the St. Lawrence River in a rocket-powered Lincoln.

Logically called The Stunt Driver, the movie is set in the mid-’70s, and recounts the true story of Carter, played here by Canadian actor Jay Baruchel. Carter – whose given name was Kenneth Gordon Polsjek – made a 20-year career out of stunt driving and other daredevil thrills before devising an idea to jump one mile across the St. Lawrence, from Ontario into New York. Plans called for a 1,400-foot ramp, a yellow two-door Lincoln Continental fitted with a rocket engine and wings, and plenty of intestinal fortitude.

At the time, a television broadcaster fronted support, but withdrew after Carter missed the original intended jump date, claiming construction delays with both the car and ramp. Further attempts were either also cancelled or aborted at the last minute, mostly for weather, with one try allegedly being shut down just seconds before takeoff. The saga ended after a backup driver was secretly conscripted to give it a go, with disastrous results thanks to a lower-than-expected takeoff speed and a host of other concerns.

Carter went on to plan other high-risk stunts, including one over a pond near Peterborough, Ontario. We’re attempting to wear our best Spoiler Alert hat at this point, lest anyone who doesn’t know the full Ken Carter story happens to be reading this and wants to see the movie in September. Other films have been made about the man’s life, including one produced by the National Film Board of Canada at the time called The Devil at Your Heels.

[Ten years ago, a musical docudrama about the jump, Aim for the Roses, was also released! —Ed.] This year’s flick, written and directed by Michael Dowse, included filming locations at the St. Lawrence River between Boucherville and Varennes in the province of Quebec.

Besides Baruchel as star, you’ll see Ed Helms in a supporting role; and Ben Foster as Evel Knievel. The movie has pegged September 25 for its theatrical release date. Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, TikTok, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.