Star-studded cast includes Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon
New York, NY (September 12, 2010) – IFC Films, the leading American distributor of independent and foreign films, announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to James Gunn’s shockingly hilarious SUPER after an all-night auction that concluded this morning. IFC Films will release SUPER under its new IFC Midnight banner. SUPER was also written by Gunn, and was produced by Miranda Bailey via her LA-based production company, Ambush Entertainment and Ted Hope, via his Gotham-based production company This is that. Ambush’s financing arm, Cold Iron Pictures, financed the film which was executive-produced by Matthew Leutwyler of Ambush Entertainment and Rainn Wilson. The film which stars Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon, premiered Friday night at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival to tremendous audience response.
Hanway Films is handling international sales and has already sold the film in over 15 foreign territories including: Italy (M2 Pictures), Australia (Village Roadshow), and Scandanavia (Svensk).
In Super, Frank’s (Rainn Wilson) wife leaves him for a seductive, psychopathic drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), Frank is transformed and the Crimson Bolt is born. With a hand-made suit, a wrench, and a crazed sidekick named Boltie (Ellen Page), the Crimson Bolt beats his way through the mean streets of crime in hopes of saving his wife (Liv Tyler). The rules were written a long time ago: You are not supposed to molest children, cut lines or key cars; if you do, prepare to face the wrath of the Crimson Bolt!
Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment said, "James Gunn has made one of the most creative and subversive films of the year with an outstanding cast including Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon. This is exactly the kind of film we want the IFC Midnight brand to be associated with."
"I never had to compromise in the making of this movie and I couldn’t be more excited to have found a distribution partner wanting to embrace the extremities and balls-to-the-walls qualities of SUPER" said James Gunn.
"SUPER is special because it has lots of unique qualities that make it an indie film and we are thrilled IFC Films is releasing it because they are independent cinema and totally get the spirit of the film and what it’s about" said producers Miranda Bailey and Ted Hope.
The deal for Super was negotiated by Arianna Bocco and Betsy Rodgers at IFC Films and by Graham Taylor at WME Global and Rich Klubeck at UTA on behalf of the filmmakers.
About Ambush Entertainment
Ambush Entertainment is a Los Angeles based independent film development and production company that is dedicated to producing original, provocative, and diverse commercial feature films. Ambush Entertainment’s financing arm, Cold Iron Pictures, has enabled the company to produce a varied slate of films which include: the 17th century martial-arts action film, Garnet on the Golden Sand, to be directed by Master Woo-ping Yuen in China; the indie ensemble drama, Answers to Nothing, starring Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell and Barbara Hershey; the Helen Hunt and Liev Schreiber starrer, Every Day, written and directed by Richard Levine (Nip/Tuck) that Image Entertainment is releasing in early 2011; the romantic drama, Wonderful World, featuring Matthew Broderick and Sanaa Lathan, which Magnolia released; the drama, Against the Current, with Joseph Fiennes, Mary Tyler Moore and Justin Kirk, which was released via IFC Festival Direct, IFC Films’ movies-on-demand platform, in early 2010; and the adaptation of novel The River Why, starring William Hurt.
Previous Ambush Entertainment features include 2005’s award-winning critically acclaimed The Squid and the Whale, written and directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels and the 2006 comedy The OH in Ohio, featuring Danny DeVito, Parker Posey and Paul Rudd; the comedy Lower Learning, with Eva Longoria Parker, Rob Corddry, and Jason Biggs; and the thriller Hindsight starring Jeffrey Donovan (Changeling) that Echo Bridge released.
Ambush Entertainment was co-founded in 2000 by actor/producer Miranda Bailey and writer/director Matt Leutwyler.
About This is that
This is that Corporation, based in New York City, is one of the leading independent film production companies. Founded in 2002, This is that is run by former Good Machine co-founder Ted Hope and former Good Machine producer Anne Carey. Good Machine’s former VP of Business Affairs, Diana Victor, is also a partner.
In 2010 This is that has completed work on two features: the number-one box-office hit THE AMERICAN, directed by Anton Corbijn, written by Rowan Joffe, starring George Clooney and released by Focus Features on September 1; and LONGFELLOW, written, directed and starring Martin Donovan, also starring David Morse and Olivia Williams, and currently in post-production. In addition, This is that Partner Ted Hope is currently in pre-production on DARK HORSE, written and to be directed by Todd Solondz this fall, and is executive producing Sean Durkin’s MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, which is currently shooting in upstate New York.
In eight years, This is that’s productions have received numerous accolades. Most recently, in 2009, Greg Mottola’s ADVENTURELAND, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, made the year-end Top 10 lists of several major periodicals including Entertainment Weekly and The New Yorker. In 2007 THE SAVAGES, written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, starring Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, received Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Actress. In 2003, 21 GRAMS by Alejandro Gonzalez-Inaritu, starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro, was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.
Other notable productions include: Jeff Feurerzeig’s documentary THE DEVIL & DANIEL JOHNSTON; THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR, based on a novel by John Irving, written and directed by Tod Williams, starring Jeff Bridges and Kim Bassinger; Nicole Holofcener’s FRIENDS WITH MONEY starring Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener and Frances McDormand; Hal Hartley’s FAY GRIM starring Parker Posey; Mike Mills’ THUMBSUCKER, based on the novel by Walter Kirn, starring Keanu Reeves, Tilda Swinton, Benjamin Bratt, Vincent D’Onofrio and Vince Vaughn; and TOWELHEAD, Oscar-winner Alan Ball’s feature film directorial debut, based on the novel by Alicia Erian, starring Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello and Summer Bishil.
In addition This is that partners are recognized for their involvement with a long list of award-winning specialized films, including AMERICAN SPLENDOR, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, HAPPINESS, THE ICE STORM, IN THE BEDROOM, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, RIDE WITH THE DEVIL and many more.
About IFC Films
Established a decade ago, IFC Films – a division of Rainbow Media’s IFC Entertainment – is the leading U.S. distributor of independent and foreign film. Its unique day and date distribution model makes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them simultaneously in theaters as well as on cable’s On Demand platform and through Pay-Per-View, reaching nearly 50 million homes. IFC Films’ "IFC Midnight" label, launched in 2010, offers the very best in international genre cinema, including horror, sci-fi, thrillers, erotic arthouse, action and more. Some of the company’s successes over the years have included MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, TOUCHING THE VOID, ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, GOMORRAH, CHE, SUMMER HOURS, IN THE LOOP, ANTICHRIST, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK, and WORDPLAY. IFC Films has worked with established and breakout auteurs including Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Miranda July, Lars Von Trier, Gaspar Noe, Todd Solondz, Cristian Mungiu, Susanne Bier, Olivier Assayas, Jim McKay, Larry Fessenden, Gregg Araki, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, as well as more recent breakouts such as Andrea Arnold, Mia Hansen Love, Corneliu Porombiou, Joe Swanberg, Barry Jenkins, Lena Dunham, Aaron Katz, Daryl Wein and Abdellatif Kechiche.
About IFC Midnight
IFC Midnight was launched in May as IFC Films’ new home for the very best in international genre cinema, including horror, sci-fi, thrillers, erotic arthouse, action and more. Recent genre cinema from IFC Films include ANTICHRIST, DEAD SNOW, 7 DAYS, THE KILLER INSIDE ME, VENGEANCE
and VALHALLA RISING.