Rudderless Sundance Film Still - H 2014
Paramount Home Media Distribution and Samuel Goldwyn Films have teamed up to acquire U.S. rights to Rudderless, William H. Macy‘s directorial debut.
Samuel Goldwyn will handle U.S. theatrical distribution day-and-date with Paramount Home Media Distribution’s VOD release.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, stars Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Jamie Chung, Selena Gomez and Laurence Fishburne.
VIDEO: Sundance: ‘Rudderless’ Star Selena Gomez Says Music Industry ‘Is Very Vain’
The story follows a man (Crudup) who is grieving over the death of his son. He stumbles across a box of unpublished music from his former life, and decides to form a small band which experiences local success and ultimately changes his life.
After seeing Rudderless as Sundance, THR’s critic John DeFore wrote: “As the father in question, Billy Crudup is deeply damaged but not self-pitying, enacting some familiar stages of cinematic mourning with intelligence and restraint.”
Keith Kjarval (Unified Pictures) and Brad Greiner produced in association with Aaron L. Gilbert’s Bron Studios. The deal was negotiated by Paramount Home Media Distribution, WME Global and Peter Goldwyn, senior vp of Samuel Goldwyn Films, with Radiant Films handling international.
Paramount will also handle other U.S. ancillary platforms and all distribution in Canada, the UK, Russia and certain territories in Asia.
“After seeing such a fabulous response at Sundance, we are thrilled to be partnering with two of the most prestigious distributors in our business on my directing debut,” said Macy. “When I first moved to LA, many years ago, I lived just off of Melrose, and I passed those beautiful gates to Paramount almost every day. Seeing them become our partner on Rudderless and adding the storied Goldwyn Company into the mix excites me to no end.”
