Picturehouse Entertainment, Element Pictures Distribution announce joint acquisition of Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER
World Premiere set for Competition in this year’s Cannes Film Festival
Picturehouse Entertainment and Element Pictures Distribution today announced their joint acquisition of all UK/Irish rights to Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER. The film will have its World Premiere in Competition at this year’s 68th Cannes Film Festival. THE LOBSTER is the highly anticipated English language debut of internationally acclaimed Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, who thrilled and shocked audiences worldwide with DOGTOOTH (2009) and ALPS (2011), and is set for release across the UK and Ireland this Autumn.
Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux, John C Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman and Michael Smiley, THE LOBSTER is a blackly funny love story set in a near future where finding love is a matter of life or death.
“We are very proud to have worked with Yorgos and his key creative collaborators, together with the extraordinary cast and crew and our brilliant co-producers assembled to make this most unique film. We are particularly pleased that THE LOBSTER has received the honour of being selected for Competition at Cannes this year, which it richly deserves. We look forward to working with our colleagues in Picturehouse to ensure that THE LOBSTER reaches the widest audience possible in the UK and Ireland when we release it later in the year” said Andrew Lowe, Director of Element Pictures Distribution.
'I'm delighted we have an opportunity to work on this innovative and truly original film. I've wanted to work with Yorgos since having my head thoroughly scrambled by DOGTOOTH in Cannes six years ago. The fact this is the first film Picturehouse Entertainment have gone into Cannes Competition with makes it that much more special. Believe the hype, it's an extraordinary film, “ said Clare Binns, Director of Programming and Acquisitions for Picturehouse Entertainment.
THE LOBSTER was acquired by Element Pictures Distribution and Picturehouse Entertainment at script stage and will be released as a joint venture between both companies, who already enjoy a close relationship through their respective exhibition interests in the UK and Ireland. It is the first time both companies have worked together to distribute a film and marks their growing ambitions in distribution.
Shot at Parknasilla in Co. Kerry in Spring 2014, THE LOBSTER is written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou and produced by Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Ceci Dempsey and Yorgos Lanthimos. Executive Producers are Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross and Sam Lavender with Isabel Davis as the lead executive for the BFI Film Fund. The film was developed by Element and Irish finance for the film came from the Irish Film Board with Rory Gilmartin as the lead executive for the IFB.
It is also the first film to be supported with BFI’s minority co-production funding.
Film4, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ the Irish Film Board, Eurimages, the BFI Film Fund, the Netherlands Film Fund and the Greek Film Centre present in association with Protagonist Pictures, with the participation of CANAL+, CINE+ and Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et du Développement International, Institut Français an Element Pictures, Scarlet Films, Faliro House, Haut et Court, Lemming Film co-production in association with Limp and with the support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.
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