Reteaming after last year’s collaboration on Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning Drive My Car, Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights to veteran auteur Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO, which won the Jury Prize in Cannes this past weekend. A fall theatrical release is planned.
EO is a vision of modern Europe as seen through the eyes of a donkey. The titular beast meets good and bad people on his life’s path, experiences joy and pain, endures the wheel of fortune as it randomly turns his luck into disaster and his despair into unexpected bliss. But not for a moment does he lose his innocence.
In his review, Deadline’s Todd McCarthy called the film “an exemplary, fresh and radiant piece of work from an 84-year-old director who has not lost his energy or own way of seeing things.”
EO is presented by Skopia Film and Jeremy Thomas and stars Sandra Drzymalska, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Mateusz Kosciukiewicz and Isabelle Huppert.
Producers are Ewa Piaskowska and Skolimowski who also co-wrote the screenplay; Eileen Tasca is the Italian co-producer. Jeremy Thomas is executive producer.
Sideshow and Janus said today, “We are proud to bring EO to North American audiences. This epic journey, seen through a donkey’s eyes, will give hope to audiences during our troubling times, and reflects not only Jerzy Skolimowski’s love of animals, but of the world. We are looking forward to showing this film — designed to be watched in a crowded theater — to the biggest audience possible this fall.”
Thomas commented, “Jerzy Skolimowski, Ewa Piaskowska and I are excited to work with a forward-thinking distribution group who absolutely love EO. We’re delighted to be working with Sideshow and Janus Films after such wonderful recognition at Cannes of Jerzy and his enchanting donkeys.”
In addition to North America and a previously announced deal with ARP for France, HanWay Films has closed EO deals with The Searchers (Benelux), I Wonder (Italy), A Contracorriente (Spain), BFI Distribution (UK & Ireland), Odeon (Greece), Bir (Turkey), Front Row (Middle East), DDDREAM (China), Fine Films (Japan), Applause (Taiwan), Nitrato (Portugal) and Pictureworks (India).