One of the most disappointing features I witnessed at Sundance Film Festival 2011 was Jill Sprecher‘s The Convincer starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, David Harbour and Bob Balaban. We reviewed the film here, but outside of a few scenes it is a stale, lifeless drama that feels like a wanna-be Coens film. The film has now get picked up for distribution and a name change to go along with it. ATO Pictures, who just released the Sundance film Terri, will release the newly titled Thin Ice this fall and you can check out the press release below via Deadline.
New York, NY (July 19, 2011) – ATO (Art Takes Over) Pictures announced today that it has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to THIN ICE (formerly titled THE CONVINCER) starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, David Harbour and Bob Balaban.
THIN ICE is a thriller about an insurance agent (Kinnear) looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of duplicity believes that salesmanship is all about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission but, after meeting a local locksmith (Crudup) who traps him in his own game of deceit, mayhem ensues.
ATO has slated a Fall 2011 release.
Werc Werk Works’ Elizabeth Redleaf and Christine Walker and Spare Room Productions’ Mary Frances Budig produced. Directed by Jill Sprecher (THIRTEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING, CLOCKWATCHERS), the writers are Sprecher and her sister Karen Sprecher (“Big Love,” THIRTEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING).
According to ATO co-founders Johnathan Dorfman and Temple Fennell: “THIN ICE is an incredibly fun and entertaining film. Greg, Alan, Billy and the rest of the talented cast do a magnificent job and are sure to delight audiences this Fall.”
“We are very happy to have found a terrific partner in ATO who sees the same potential in THIN ICE as we do,” says Elizabeth Redleaf, CEO of Werc Werk Works. “This film embodies the Werc Werk Works philosophy of guiding distinctive and diverse projects, and we are confident that ATO’s mutual enthusiasm and dedication will help bring the film to a broad audience.”
Sarah Lash and Vicki Cherkas, the latter acting as legal counsel, negotiated on behalf of ATO with CAA and Werc Werk Works’ attorney, Stephen Clark representing the producers.
Currently, ATO has the Sundance hit, TERRI starring John C. Reilly, in release.