Don’t Worry: ‘Dr. Parnassus’ Has Distribution

Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 13, 2009

All year long, I’ve been geeking out about The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Why? Because I love Terry Gilliam, everything about the film seemed to be Gilliam at his best, and I have a soft spot for any film with the word ‘doctor’ in the title. Doc Hollywood doesn’t technically count, but I love that one anyway.

For some reason, the film didn’t get scooped up immediately after Cannes. I have no idea why this is and choose not to speculate, but I couldn’t be happier that it’s going to be seen by eyes in the United States (like mine). There’s an obvious market for it amongst fantasy, action adventure, and Heath Ledger fans alike.

Feel free to get even more excited by watching the trailer one more or one hundred more times:

The thing looks damned beautiful, and now, Sony is close to closing on a deal that would give them distribution rights. According to Variety, they may release the film as early as this year under the Sony Pictures Classics banner – the same banner that released Moon and It Might Get Loud.

I have a feeling that the release will be limited, which sucks, but I’m breathing a sigh of relief that will get to see it on the big screen after all. Up to this point there have been rumors that a deal was on the way, but this is the first official word on the matter. Most of Europe will see the film starting in October and continuing on with released through December. Given the time it would take to build a campaign and the type of film it is, Sony would probably do well to release it near the end of the year in the States.

What do you think?

Read more articles by Dr. Cole Abaius