Wednesday, May 24, 2006
By:
|
Comments
|
I've been biting my tongue for a few days as I've been quite aware of how well Bong Joon-ho's The Host has been screening at this year's Cannes. I didn't know which studio would end up with it, but there was a bidding war and from various sources I've been told the film is "incredible" and "astounding," so I wasn't surprised when Magnolia informed me that they thought the film was the best film [they’ve] seen to date at this year’s festival.” Read on for more details on Magnolia's major acquisition and cross your fingers that we'll see it sometime this year. The story concerns a carnivorous mutant in Seoul's Han River that attacks city folk. The monster itself is being created by Weta, Orphanage, and Creature Workshop...
Official press release:
New York, New York, May 25, 2006 – Magnolia Pictures announced today the acquisition of all English language territories for Director’s Fortnight entry Bong Joon-ho’s (Memories of Murder, Barking Dogs Never Bite). Called “the best film I’ve seen to date at this year’s festival” by Manohla Dargis of the New York Times, Magnolia has slated the film for a late 2006 release.
A hybrid of genre elements drawn from science fiction, horror, family drama and more, The Host finds present-day Seoul terrorized by an unidentified monster living in the river Han. When a young girl is taken by the creature, her family (including Bae Doo-na of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Byun Hee-bong of Memories of Murder) undertakes a dangerous rescue mission.
"I think The Host has the potential to become a classic of the genre. The creature is one of the most impressive and imaginative movie monsters I've seen in a very long time." said Magnolia Pictures President Eamonn Bowles.
"Magnolia has brought many high quality genre movies successfully to North America. They already have great ideas for the promotion and marketing of The Host and we're very excited to work with a company who understands the subtleties of this movie and the director." said Cineclick’s Managing Director Young-joo Suh.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia’s Head of Acquisitions Tom Quinn, Manager of Acquisitions Ben Stambler and Head of Business and Legal Affairs Jason Janego with Cineclick’s Young-joo Suh and Senior Manager Sang-eun Chi on behalf of Chungeorahm Film and Showbox Mediaplex.
Magnolia Pictures, an independent distributor, recently released Roger Donaldson’s The World’s Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins, Alex Gibney’s Academy Award-nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and also mounted the successful multi-platform release of Steven Soderbergh’s Bubble. Upcoming films include Pierre Morel’s District B13, and Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Pusher Trilogy. Magnolia Pictures is part of a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain, production companies HDNet Films and 2929 Productions, and high-definition cable networks HDNet and HDNet Movies.
Be The First To Comment!
You have to be logged in to comment!
If you don't have an account register now for free! Your account allows you to post comments and reviews, upload videos and images, access or our forums, write personal blogs, and maintain your profile.
Print Story
Send to a Friend
