Bill Maher and Borat director Larry Charles are currently making a movie about “the role of institutional religion around the world.” The foreign distribution rights are currently being sold at the Cannes film festival. But the presumably controversial film does not yet have an American distributor. Variety reports:
Based on a 10-minute promo reel seen by about 200 buyers Friday, the pic promises a blend of comedy and reportage that could attract significant controversy. A one-page “statement of intent” by Charles was released at Berlin, and some territories started responding then. . . .
The big question now: Who will buy the film in the U.S., Maher’s home turf? And how readily will they want to be known as the grinches who stole Christ?
“The filmmakers are in no hurry to sell domestic,” said Stuart Ford, managing director of IM Global. “We have comfortably covered more than 100% of the production costs through foreign sales.” . . .
Some who saw the footage believe it would be extremely difficult for a division of a major studio to handle the pic. Handily enough, though, Cannes 2007 is stocked with deep-pocketed indie players capable of distributing on their own.
The producers, Palmer West and Jonah Smith (“A Scanner Darkly,” “Waking Life”), fully financed the film. CAA is handling sales. . . .
Wait a minute, this movie was produced by the guys behind those two films? Maybe this one will have rotoscoped animation, too!
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