While there seems to be a reported anxious air with sales and acquisitions at TIFF and past festivals it is always nice to be able to pass along some good news once and a while.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has picked up distribution rights on animated film "The Sky Crawlers" for the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.Deal was made on the eve of the film's North American premiere at the Toronto fest.
Directed by Mamoru Oshii ("Ghost in the Shell"), story is set in an alternate present in which perennial adolescents called Kildren fight in an endless war at a sporting event that the public follows in the media. Chihiro Ito adapted the screenplay from Mori Hiroshi's bestselling Japanese novel. VarietyAsiaOnline
I have been relatively happy with SONY's handling of projects and all of us on this side of the Pacific should hope for a generous, if limited, theatrical release so those of us who could not see it at any of the festivals can see it in all its glory on the big screen. Yes, it will likely be dubbed [fingers crossed for NOT] but it is still a chance.
Also important, this provides the movie with a fighting chance to get a decent worldwide DVD- and BluRay release.
Sony's handling of "Final Fantasy: Spirits Within", "Metropolis", the "Cowboy Bebop" movie and "Steamboy" left me very satisfied.
I guess Sony's about as good as we can hope for all things considered. That is a sad, sad statement.
If it is dubbed, hopefully they'll attach some good names to it, like Steamboy.