The 1970s-set film follows the titular protagonist (Matt Dillon) from his point of view through five murders.
IFC Films has picked up U.S. rights to Lars von Trier's serial-killer drama The House That Jack Built.
The acquisition marks the second teaming of IFC and the controversial helmer, after the specialty label released von Trier's Antichrist (2009).
Set in the U.S. in the 1970s, the film follows the titular protagonist (Matt Dillon) from his point of view through five murders. Jack views each murder as an artwork in itself, even though his dysfunction gives him problems in the outside world. Despite the fact that the final and inevitable police intervention is drawing ever near, which both provokes and puts pressure on Jack, he is - contrary to logic - set on taking greater and greater chances.
The House That Jack Built also stars Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough and Siobhan Fallon Hogan.
The film was produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Group in co-production with Film i Vast; Copenhagen Film Fund; Slot Machine, with support from Danish Film Institute; Swedish Film Institute; Nordisk Film & TV Fond; CNC; Film- und Medienstiftung NRW; Eurimages; the Media Programme of the European Union; and in cooperation with DR, Nordisk Film Distribution, Concorde Filmverleih, Potemkine, Les Films du Losange and SVT.
"Lars von Trier is an unparalleled cinematic provocateur and one of the world's great auteurs," Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, co-presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects, said Thursday in a statement. "It's great to be working with old friends and colleagues such as Lars, Peter Aalbaek Jensen and the entire Trust team. We are anticipating audiences will see a Matt Dillon they have never dreamed of before."
Added Zentropa co-founder and executive producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen: "The lovely people at IFC have always been generous. Now also money-wise. We celebrate this and the lifelong relationship with Jonathan and company by delivering a smashing film by notorious Lars von Trier."
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco from Sundance Selects/IFC Films with TrustNordisk on behalf of the filmmakers.
TrustNordisk is handling international sales at the Cannes market.