In what may be the first truly significant distribution deal to come out of the Toronto International Film Festival year, it is being reported by Deadline that Bob Weinstein's Dimension Films is close to settling a deal to distribute a pair of Eli Roth-produced films: Aftershock, which is premiering at the festival, and Clown, which is due to go into production shortly. While Roth is listed as a producer on both films, he also stars in the former - his first significant role since Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Deadline goes on to report that the minimum offer for each film is set at about $2 million, and will have to include a guarantee of wide release.
Aftershock - which will see its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this coming Tuesday - revolves around a group of American tourists (led by Roth and Selena Gomez) who are plunged into a living hell when a Chilean earthquake devastates the town they are vacationing in - releasing a horde of convicts from the nearby insane asylum in the process. Written by Roth, Nicolas Lopez & Guillermo Amoedo and directed by Nicolas Lopez, the film will see a trio of screenings throughout the week, and if the distribution deal pans out, will see a wide release some time in the future.
Clown, on the other hand, has yet to begin production. Based on a fan-made trailer, Roth is now expanding the video into a feature. Co-scripted by Christopher D. Ford (of recent Frank and Robot fame) and director Jon Watts, the film centers around a loving father who puts on a clown costume to replace a no-show at his child's birthday, only to discover that he can't take it off - and that the cursed outfit is slowly consuming him. Deals for both films are expected shortly. ~Devin Garabedian
Comments: