After not showing at Cannes or Venice, Terrence Malick's
The Tree of Life did screen at Telluride: but only six people saw the cut-down movie (two hours, 15 minutes) at two separate screenings for Sony Pictures Classics and Fox Searchlight, which landed the picture.
The Tree of Life is inspiring raves from the few who've seen it (they use words like "cinema-changing"). Even though the film boasts stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, that does not mean that it will be anything but an art house success d'estime. But Searchlight is willing to give it their best shot, which is usually pretty damned good.
Searchlight did have to pay something up front and make a marketing commitment to get the movie, which will NOT be released by the end of the year. The question is, can Summit convince all the territories that bought the film to hold on to their hats and wait to release it before the movie launches at a major film festival? Sundance's John Cooper wants it. Berlin and Cannes want it too. So will it be January, February or May? That is the question.
5 Comments
Rev | September 13, 2010 10:04 AM
Hopefully the other thirty-six Malick fans are more articulate than Peter Sutcliffe.
Stay classy, Pete!
Peter Sutcliffe | September 13, 2010 8:49 AM
@ hunter: suck a dick up until you hiccup, idiot.
Hunter Tremayne | September 13, 2010 4:37 AM
I think the picture will be massivie hit for all thirty-seven people who enjoy Malick's movies.
Guy Lodge | September 13, 2010 1:41 AM
Berlin, much as I love it, would be a bizarre choice of festival to launch this film -- even if they did feature (but not premiere) Malick's last two efforts. There's just no heat there. (On the other hand, the film would have no competition in the publicity stakes there.)
My money's on Cannes.
Manuel10589 | September 13, 2010 1:28 AM
I think Dieter Kosslick would consider following the example of the hero in 127 hours to get this film and Brad Pitt to Berlin.