The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have pre-bought North American rights to MELANCHOLIA, the eagerly awaited new film from legendary filmmaker and provocateur Lars Von Trier. The film was acquired at the Berlinale through a seven-figure deal with Trust Nordisk.
Boasting a stellar ensemble cast, including Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard and Udo Kier, the film will be completed later this spring and is among the most highly anticipated films of 2011.
Dunst and Gainsbourg play sisters whose lives are drifting apart as the universe spectacularly unravels in what Von Trier describes as “a beautiful movie about the end of the world.”
"As the 2012 apocalypse is upon us, it is time to prepare for a cinematic last supper: Lars Von Trier's awe-inspiring MELANCHOLIA," said Tom Quinn, SVP of Magnolia. "It is with great excitement that we embark on this journey with our newly adopted Danish family, the legendary Peter Aalbæk Jensen and the incredible Trust Nordisk team. It's a dream come true for all of us at Magnolia, and as we head into our company's second decade, I hope this is just the first collaboration of many with the one-and-only Lars Von Trier."
“Lars von Trier, my buddy through 23 years, will now be distributed via Magnolia in North America," said Executive Producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. "As all first time love affairs this is a thrilling trip that started with an exhausting negotiation through a cold and dark German night. During this deal-making, Magnolia's Tom and Dori proved that they are a bright and entertaining partner with a big heart for the passion of all of us here in fantastic Berlin: Great fucking movies!"
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia SVP Tom Quinn and VP of Acquisitions Dori Begley with Peter Aalbæk Jensen, and Susan Wendt of Trust Nordisk.
About Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com) is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain, and the high definition cable network HDNet. Magnolia's eclectic slate includes such critically acclaimed films as the Oscar nominated documentary Food, Inc., Oscar winner Man on Wire, James Gray´s Two Lovers, Bong Joon-Ho´s Mother, Luca Guadagnino´s I Am Love, Oscar-winner Alex Gibney´s documentaries Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Gonzo and Casino Jack, Tanya Hamilton´s Night Catches Us, and Andrew Jarecki´s All Good Things . Upcoming releases include Andrew Rossi´s New York Times Documentary Page One, Mark Pellington´s I Melt With You, Fred Cavayé´s Point Blank, Max Winkler´s Ceremony and many more.