A drama about the famous 1974 high-wire walk between the World Trade Center towers will get a major Oscar boost by opening this year’s New York Film Festival on Sept. 25.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as French high-wire artist Philippe Petit in Robert Zemeckis’ “The Walk,’’ which also stars Ben Kingsley and will make its world premiere at the festival before it opens in North American theaters on Oct. 2.

“It plays like a classic heist movie,’’ says festival director Kent Jones. “But here it’s not money that’s stolen, but access to the world’s tallest buildings. It’s also an astonishing re-creation of lower Manhattan in the ’70s.’’

The New York Film Festival’s opening night has become a major Oscar launchpad over the last decade or so, with Best Picture nods going to “Good Night, and Good Luck’’ (2005), “The Queen’’ (2006), “The Social Network’’ (2010), “Life of Pi’’ (2012) and “Captain Phillips’’ (2013).