The 70th annual Cannes Film Festival is moving towards the end and we are more than thrilled to be able to announce that IFC have acquired the U.S. rights for Lars von Trier's THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa. The deal was negotiated between Arianna Bocco from Sundance Selects/IFC Films and Director of International Sales & Marketing at TrustNordisk, Susan Wendt.
Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, co-presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects comments on the acquisition: “Lars von Trier is an unparalleled cinematic provocateur and one of the world's great auteurs. 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”.
Susan Wendt says: “IFC did a great job on Antichrist and their enthusiasm for The House That Jack Built is simply overwhelming and will surely be implemented in their work on the film”.
Co-founder of Zentropa and executive producer, Peter Aalbæk Jensen is equally thrilled and says: "The lovely people at IFC have always been generous. Now also money-wise! We celebrate this and the life-long relationship with Jonathan & Co by delivering a smashing film by notorious, Lars von Trier".
Previously announced sales include UK and Ireland (Curzon Artificial Eye), Germany, Austria (Telemünchen), France (Films Du Losanges), Latin America (California Filmes), Benelux (September film), Greece (Seven Films), Portugal (Leopardo filmes), Israel (Shani Film), Middle East (Falcon Films), China (DD Dream), Hong Kong (Sundream), South Korea (Atnine Film), Russia/CIS (Russian World Vision), Poland (Gutek), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Former Yugoslavia (Cinemania group), Czech Republic (Aero film), Bulgaria (Euro Films), Romania (Independenta Film 97) and Baltic States (Estin Film).
The cast of THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT will consist of Matt Dillon (WAYWARD PINES, 2016; CRASH, 2004) as Jack, Bruno Ganz (DOWNFALL, 2004) as Verge and Uma Thurman (NYMPHOMANIAC, 2013; PULP FICTION, 1995), Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience, 2016; Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015), Siobhan Fallon Hogan (DANCER IN THE DARK, 2000; DOGVILLE, 2003) and Sofie Gråbøl (THE DAY WILL COME, 2016; THE KILLING, 2012) will star as some of the unfortunate women who encounter Jack along his way.
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILTS takes place in 1970s USA. We follow the highly intelligent Jack through 5 incidents and are introduced to the murders that define Jack´s development as a serial killer. We experience the story from Jack´s point of view. He 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 all logic - set on taking greater and greater chances.
Along the way we experience Jack´s descriptions of his personal condition, problems and thoughts through a recurring conversation with the unknown Verge - a grotesque mixture of sophistry mixed with an almost childlike self-pity and in-depth explanations of, for Jack, dangerous and difficult manoeuvres.
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT is produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Group in co-production with Film i Väst, 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, SVT.
Nordic distribution through Nordisk Film.
TrustNordisk handles international sales.