Despite its controversial debut at Sundance this year, Michael Winterbottom’s “The Killer Inside Me” has been picked up by IFC Films for the lump sum of $1.5 million.
Based on a Jim Thompson novel of the same name, the film stars Casey Affleck as a murderous small-town Texan sheriff and was criticized to no end for its reported depiction of violence against woman, played by Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson. Simon Baker, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty and Elias Koteas also co-star.
IFC are no stranger to controversy however, picking up Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” after its troubles at Cannes last year. “The Killer Inside Me” is looking at a summer release through theaters and IFC’s Video On Demand service.
A film making headlines for all the right reasons at Sundance was Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone.” After earning top honors at the Park City festival’s awards, the film has now found a home at Roadside Attractions who won out in a reported bidding war for a “low- to mid-six figure” sum.
The film, an adaptation of a Daniel Woodrell novel, centers on a tough 17-year-old girl who goes in search of her father, a meth-dealer who has jumped bail and put the family’s home in danger of being taken away. Lead Jennifer Lawrence has notably been singled out by critics for a stellar performance.
A summer theatrical release is being eyed for the film, which is also screening at this month’s Berlin Film Festival.