Magnolia Takes North American Rights to FILTH
Steel Mill Pictures, Logie Pictures and Maven Pictures Produced FILTH Acquired by Magnolia After Extremely Successful UK Run
New York, NY (November 26, 2013) – The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired North American rights to FILTH, a pitch black comedy based on the novel by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting). Golden Globe nominee James McAvoy (X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Last King of Scotland) leads a stellar ensemble cast, including Jamie Bell (Nymphomaniac, Snowpiercer), Imogen Poots (A Late Quartet), Eddie Marsan (“Ray Donovan”), Shirley Henderson (Anna Karenina, Trainspotting) and Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent (Cloud Atlas, The Iron Lady). FILTH was written and directed by Jon S. Baird, who also produced through his Logie Pictures banner with Ken Marshall for Steel Mill Pictures, Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray for Maven Pictures, James McAvoy, Christian Angermayer and Jens Meurer for Film House Germany, Mark Amin and Will Clarke.
FILTH, which ranks as the year’s second highest-grossing R-rated film in the UK, has garnered British Independent Film Award nominations for James McAvoy (Best Actor), Jon S. Baird (Best Director), Shirley Henderson (Best Supporting Actress), Eddie Marsan (Best Supporting Actor) and a nomination for Best Achievement in Production. The Hollywood Reporter’s Stephen Dalton called the film “a hugely entertaining breath of foul air fuelled by McAvoy’s impressively ugly star performance.”
McAvoy plays Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, a scheming, manipulative, misanthropic man who spends his time indulging in drugs, alcohol, sexually abusive relationships, and “the games” – cruel plots and systematic bullying of his coworkers and friends. While working on the murder case of a Japanese student, he starts coming unhinged, slowly losing his grip on reality and suffering from a series of increasingly severe hallucinations as he desperately tries to hold his life together.
“Very funny and deeply disturbing in all the right ways, FILTH is a wild ride, driven by a performance for the ages from James McAvoy,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “FILTH is going to join the ranks of Trainspotting as a cult classic.”
Producer Ken Marshall states “Magnolia is a brave company that consistently backs original, visionary films. Their passion for FILTH gives us great comfort that they will handle this unique film in the best way possible.”
Said director Jon S. Baird: “Filth at its core is a tragic love story and the darkest of fairytales, but in Bruce Robertson, has the ultimate in anti-heroes.”
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia Director of Acquisitions John Von Thaden, with CAA and UTA on behalf of the filmmakers.
Magnolia is eyeing a theatrical release in the spring of 2014.
About Magnolia
Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com) is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain and AXS TV. Recent releases include the riveting killer whale doc Blackfish, David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche, Terrence Malick’s To The Wonder, Joe Swanberg’s Drinking Buddies, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, Danish thriller A Hijacking, Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now, hit documentaries Muscle Shoals, Jiro Dreams of Sushi and The Queen of Versailles, and the Academy Award nominated A Royal Affair. Magnolia’s upcoming releases include Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac, Richard Ayoade’s dystopian vision The Double, the raucous Alan Partridge starring Steve Coogan, Lukas Moodysson’s We Are the Best!, Norwegian thrillers Pioneer and Ragnarok, and many more.
About Steel Mill Pictures
Producer Ken Marshall set up UK-based production company Steel Mill Pictures with writer/director Paul Andrew Williams in 2005. Steel Mill Pictures has produced five feature films and has a wealth of material in development. Completed films include the award-winning, critically acclaimed thriller “London to Brighton” (2006), dark comedy “The Cottage” (2008) and home-invasion terror “Cherry Tree Lane” (2010). More recently feel-good choir film “Song for Marion” (2013), starring Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave and Gemma Arterton, had its world premiere as the official Closing Night Film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2012 and was released theatrically in February 2013 in the UK by eOne. It has been released theatrically around the world, culminating with a US release by The Weinstein Company in summer 2013 (aka “Unfinished Song”). Marshall is currently a mentor for the Microwave film scheme from Film London and the BBC. The initiative provides funding for rising talent by challenging them to complete their first feature film for a modest £120,000 budget. Previous success stories from the programme include Eran Creevy’s Shifty and Ben Drew’s Ill Manors.
About Maven Pictures
Maven Pictures is a New York-based film development, production and financing company co-founded by Oscar-nominated producer and veteran film executive Celine Rattray and BAFTA-nominated producer, filmmaker, actress and activist Trudie Styler. Maven finances development and provides equity for films across a wide range of budgets and for distribution across all platforms. Maven Pictures produced GIRL MOST LIKELY, starring Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, Darren Criss and Matt Dillon. The film premiered In Toronto and was released by Lionsgate Films. Maven also produced FILTH, starring James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, and Jamie Bell, recently released in the UK, and becoming the country’s second highest grossing R-rated film of the year. Maven’s next release, BLACK NATIVITY is a modernized take on Langston Hughes’ classic musical and stars Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson and Mary J Blige. Fox Searchlight is releasing wide for Thanksgiving.
