Dark Star Pictures has acquired all North American rights to Tribeca-bowing comedy/drama Ghostbox Cowboy and is planning a late November theatrical rollout beginning in New York and Los Angeles, followed by an end of year VOD release.
The feature film debut of documentarian John Maringouin (Big River Man, Running Stumbled), Ghostbox Cowboy was co-written by lead actor David Zellner (Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter) with a cast of non-actors and newcomers. The first U.S. film to be shot in Shenzhen, China, it tells the story of a washed up entrepreneur who attempts to reinvent himself as a cowboy in China’s tech Wild West.
The film was described by critics as “a surreal masterpiece,” “a gonzo odyssey” and a film that “has cult classic written all over it.” The Hollywood Reporter called it a “bizarro look at Americans trying to cash in on China’s tech boom.”
“John Maringouin’s feature debut carries a special feel that echoes that of a documentary injected with the sharp wit and structure of a dark satire — all set against the neon soaked backdrop of industrial China,” said Dark Star president Michael Repsch. “The film is something new for audiences to experience and molds perfectly with what the Dark Star brand is.”
Repsch negotiated the deal with XYZ Films’ sales director Pip Ngo and attorney George Rush.
Dark Star will be releasing the film theatrically in New York and Los Angeles starting Nov. 30th, before expanding to further markets. It will be available on VOD during the holiday season.
