We continue our look at film distributors with Telluride track records...
DISTRIBUTION: FREQUENT DISTRIBS AT TELLURIDE: FOX SEARCHLIGHT
Here's what we have seen from them art Telluride over the past 11 years:
2004: Kinsey
2005: Bee Season
2006: The Last King of Scotland, The Namesake
2007: Juno, The Savages
2008: Slumdog Millionaire
2009: ZIP
2010: Never Let Me Go, 127 Hours, Black Swan, Millions
2011: Shame, The Descendants
2012: ZIP
2013: 12 Years a Slave
2014: Birdman, Wild
16 films over that time span, which averages to 1.55 films/year. 2009 and 2013 were outliers with no Fox Searchlight films at T-ride. 2010 was extraordinary with the company having four films make the program. Most importantly, probably to Fox Searchlight, is that they have three Best Picture Oscar winners since 2008, all of which played Telluride: "Slumdog Millionaire" (08), "12 Years a Slave" (13) and "Birdman" (14). So, you kind have to be believe that if they have a film that they feel has a Best Picture shot, that it will likely play Telluride (and the buzz is that they do).
What's in the Fox Searchlight cupboard for this year? They have a number of goodies including much ballyhooed Cannes Palme competition piece, Paolo Sorrentino's "Youth" with both Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel considered serious Oscar acting awards candidates.
Then there's Jean-Marc Vallee's "Demolition" starring the red hot Jake Gyllenhaal. Vallee was in Telluride last year as the director of "Wild" which earned Oscar nominations for Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.
Also in the FS house, the much anticipated documentary "He Named Me Malala" about Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who was the victim pf a Taliban assassination attempt because she dared to be a young girl who wanted an education. "Malala" is directed by Davis Guggenheim who directed "Waiting for Superman" and "An Inconvenient Truth".
These three films all have some serious Telluride potential. The other Fox Searchlight picture that could be in the mix is Luca Guadagnino's "A Bigger Splash" starring Ralph Fiennes and Dakota Johnson but I think it's Telluride profile is much smaller...
Other Fox Searchlight films that could make a splash as we move through the end of the year have already premiered/opened: "True Story", "Mistress America", "Brooklyn", "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl", "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", and "Far from the Madding Crowd" have either played Sundance, opened theatrically or both.
Ultimately at least one Fox Searchlight film will play and probably two. There could be three altogether.
Chances:
"Youth" 80%
"Demolition" 60%
"He Named Me Malala" 50%
"A Bigger Splash" 25%
Of course, I have "Youth" on the current "Ten Bets" list at #5.
Tomorrow's distribution outlet: The Weinstein Company.
NEW P.R. GAMBIT FOR "SICARIO"
Lionsgate, which is distributing Denis Villenueve's "Sicario", which played Cannes in competition, has debuted a different P.R. move releasing "Loteria" cards for the film. You see one above. Loteria is a bingo-like game that comes from Latin America.
"Sicario" will open in the U.S. on Sept. 18 and remains a film with some possibility of playing Telluride largely due to Villeneuve's past participation at Telluride with "Incendies" (TFF 2010) and "Prisoners" (TFF 2013).
Here's the Rope of Silicon article that includes all five of the Loteria cards for the film released yesterday:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/five-loteria-card-posters-for-sicario-released/
SPOOKY LOOKS FROM "CRIMSON PEAK"
I talked last week about the unlikely, but nevertheless, possible appearance of Guillermo Del Toro's "Crimson Peak". Yesterday we were treated to new character posters for the Gothic horror film that features Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston.
Check out the links to HitFix and The Playlist for all of the posters and a couple of new stills from the film:
http://www.hitfix.com/harpy/exclusive-jessica-chastain-is-a-gothic-queen-in-blood-red-crimson-peak-poster
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/new-images-and-posters-for-guillermo-del-toros-gothic-horror-crimson-peak-20150706
That'll do for Tuesday...more tomorrow...
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