Six months after world-premiering to poor opinions on the Venice Movie Competition, Roman Polanski‘s newest movie “The Palace” has been acquired by a French distribution firm, Swashbuckler Movies.
The Paris-based banner, which focuses on traditional films, is hoping to launch “The Palace” on Could 15. The corporate’s proprietor, Sebastien Tiveyrat, informed Selection he hasn’t but obtained the exhibition visa from the Nationwide Movie Board and hasn’t began contacting exhibitors in France to e book theaters.
Though Polanski’s inclusion on the Venice pageant sparked an argument as a result of the truth that he’s nonetheless presently dealing with sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” bought throughout many territories, together with Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland the place it got here out between September and January. The black comedy will subsequent open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles worldwide gross sales on the film.
“The Palace” takes place throughout New 12 months’s Eve in 1999, when a cocktail party at Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace lodge takes an surprising flip. The solid contains Oliver Masucci, Fanny Ardant, John Cleese, Bronwyn James, Joaquim de Almeida, Luca Barbareschi (who additionally produced the movie), Milan Peschel, Fortunato Cerlino and Mickey Rourke.
“The Palace” has been critically panned, with Selection’s chief movie critic Owen Gleiberman describing it as a “laughless debacle” and a “New 12 months’s Eve lodge comedy a few bunch of rich idiots.” But, Tiveyrat, who admitted that he hasn’t even seen the movie, stated he’s satisfied it is going to be a profitable launch in France the place Polanski’s movies have historically over-performed, together with his earlier film “An Officer and a Spy” which grossed an estimated 10 million euros in native theaters for Gaumont, and went on to earn 12 nominations on the Cesar Awards in 2019. Polanski’s finest director win that 12 months ignited the primary wave of #MeToo revelations in France. The nation is now present process a brand new MeToo reckoning, within the wake of the outrage over actor Gerard Depardieu and administrators equivalent to Benoit Jacquot, who has been accused of sexual assault by actress Judith Godreche.
The theatrical launch of “The Palace” will doubtless set off additional uproar in France. The tide has already turned on Polanski in France contemplating “The Palace” didn’t get picked up by any French TV channels, not like “An Officer and a Spy,” and failed to draw a significant theatrical distributor equivalent to Gaumont.
Polanski was initially arrested in 1977 in Los Angeles for allegedly assaulting 13-year-old Samantha Gailey. He entered a plea discount and plead responsible to 1 cost of illegal sexual activity with a minor, and was sentenced to 90 days of psychiatric analysis at California jail. He was then launched after 42 days and placed on probation. Gailey later sued Polanski in 1988 and he finally settled the swimsuit within the ’90s. He was then arrested once more in 2009 in Switzerland at america’ request, however in the end the try to extradite him for a trial was unsuccessful. In 2018, Polanski was faraway from the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences.
