Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, which is still in theaters, met with mixed reviews and flopped at the box office. Yet, Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed the typically star-studded rom-com, has already bought the North American distribution rights for Allen’s next feature, Midnight in Paris.
Like his last flick, Midnight in Paris is a comedic tale of love that has a stunningly impressive and internationally acclaimed ensemble cast. This time ’round, Allen has snagged Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotilliard, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates, and even landed a cameo by folk singer/First Lady of France Carla Bruni.
According to The Playlist:
The film is a romantic comedy that follows a family traveling to the titular city for business, including a young engaged couple who have their lives transformed throughout the journey. The film celebrates a young man’s great love for Paris, and simultaneously explores the illusion people have that a life different from their own is better.
While no release date has yet been teased, it’s likely Sony aim to debut at Cannes as they did with Stranger.
In other news, THR reports Sony Pictures Classics “is in active pursuit” of Morgan Spurlock’s latest doc, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, which explores advertising, branding and product placement within entertainment. The so-called “meta-documentary” is set to premiere at Sundance at the end of the month. (Whether or not Spurlock finds this development “meta” will be a common question at the fest, I’d wager.)
Spurlock tells THR, “Everywhere you look it seems like something’s being brought to you by some sponsor or some corporation…So we said, ‘Why not make a doc that looks at that and have the brands actually pay for it?'”
Spurlock’s not new to criticizing the evils of big business, as it was his ant-McDonald’s doc Super Size Me that was his Sundance debut and put him on the map.
While SPC has been an active buyer at Sundance in the past few years, it remains to be seen if they’ll buy Greatest before it screens.
You can keep up with the latest developments on Sundance 2011 here at The Film Stage.
Are you looking forward to Allen’s latest? How about Spurlock’s?