Movies
‘The Troll Hunter’ Goes Theatrical in 2011 from Magnet!
The wait for The Troll Hunter won’t be long as Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired World rights excluding Europe to writer/director André Ovredal’s docu-style horror flick. It recently premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin. Shot in a vérité style, The Troll Hunter is the story of a group of Norwegian film students that set out to capture real-life trolls on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, Hunter is said to deliver truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore.
“THE TROLL HUNTER is one hell of a ride, with trolls the size of King Kong,” said Magnet SVP Tom Quinn. “André Ovredal has created a one-of-a-kind creature feature that’s sure to entertain and wow audiences all over the world. We’re extremely proud to add it to the Magnet slate.”
“The interest in THE TROLL HUNTER from around the world has been overwhelming,” says producer Jacobsen. “But it became clear to us early that Magnolia/Magnet would be a perfect fit both for us and for the film. We are really excited to be working with them on this movie.”
The deal for world rights excluding Europe were negotiated by Magnet’s Quinn with producer John M. Jacobsen. Magnet will release the film theatrically in 2011.
Movies
Ken Russell’s Controversial ‘The Devils’ Restoration Gets First Teaser Ahead of Theatrical Release
A holy grail for cinephiles is finally within reach after half a century; the long-awaited restoration of Ken Russell‘s controversial horror movie The Devils will arrive this fall.
The first official teaser gives us our first peek at the new restoration, below.
Warner Bros. Clockwork will release the film in theaters globally this fall, in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI) in the UK. It opens in select North American theaters on October 16 for an exclusive one-week engagement with international theatrical dates to be announced.
Based on Aldous Huxley’s 1952 non-fiction novel The Devils of Loudun and its 1961 stageplay adaptation, The Devils is set in 17th-century Loudun, France.
Oliver Reed stars as Grandeur in the film, complete with the sex appeal that has all the ladies swooning, including the hunchbacked Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). Jeanne is exceptionally lustful for Grandeur, which pushes over into wrathful jealousy when she learns of his relationship with the young and stunning Madeleine (Gemma Jones). Cue the demonic seduction accusations, and hysteria and chaos ensue.
Why is this restoration such a big deal? Russell’s original vision was considered far too incendiary and political for its time, with key sequences deemed too intense for viewers. That most infamously includes a sequence in which a demonic possession public display culminated in hysterical nuns tearing down and ravaging a giant crucifix, cut from the film in its entirety, with further cuts for American audiences and edits for UK viewers.
As the press release details, “This new 4K restoration of Ken Russell’s masterpiece was assembled from the original camera negative. The film’s sound has been remastered from original English Composite 35mm Mag Film, transferred at 96kHz, plus other original film elements in selected spots as needed. The Picture and Sound restoration was performed by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services, Water Tower Color, and Warner Bros. Sound.“