Cannes 2012: Oscilloscope Takes U.S. Rights to Matteo Garrone's 'Reality'

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to Matteo Garrone’s Reality, a dark comedy about a man who dreams of being a contestant on a reality show.

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The film, Garrone’s follow-up to 2008’s Gomorrah, debuted in the Competition line-up at the Cannes Film Festival. 

The acquisition is the first major move on the part of Oscilloscope, which was founded by Adam Yauch, since Yauch’s death on May 4. The company is being run by Dan Berger and David Laub, who had taken over more responsibilities earlier in May. 

“I’m extremely gratified by the strong response Oscilloscope had to the film and their ideas for making it successful in the US.  I look forward to working with David and Dan as they move the company forward,” Garrone said.

“Reality is an exceptional, one-of-a-kind film that had us hooked from its amazing opening shot. It is a complex, provocative, and deeply compelling look at our media-obsessed culture, executed by one of the most interesting and talented filmmakers working today. Garrone pays homage to classical filmmakers such as Fellini and Scorsese while crafting a fresh and very relevant contemporary story. This is exactly the kind of film Adam Yauch wanted to champion, and we are extremely proud to have it join the Oscilloscope family,” Laub commented.

The film, an Italian-French coproduction, was produced by Garrone and Domenico Procacci, with Jean Labadie of Le Pacte as co-producer.  The deal was negotiated by Berger and Laub with Janine Gold of Fandango Portobello assisted by Garrone’s U.S. representatives, Bart Walker of Cinetic Media and Jeff Berg of ICM.