CriterionCast

Pathe Announces Upcoming Releases

Well, this is a bit impressive.

According to Variety, Pathe International has announced their slate for the next year or so, and it not only features films like the oft-delayed animated film, Gnomeo and Juliet, but they also have the rights to Sylvain Chomet’s upcoming animated film, The Illusionist, all culminating in a total of 60 sales for the company.

The Illusionist, featuring a co-writing credit given to the late Jacques Tati whose screenplay was the basis for this film, follows the relationship between a hard on his luck stage entertainer and a fan who gives a bit of life to his career. The film comes from Sylvain Chomet, the same man behind the brilliant animated film, Triplets of Belleville, and with everything we have seen so far from the film, I can’t wait to see this thing. It looks utterly gorgeous, and here’s hoping the film gets a quick and speedy release.

The aforementioned Gnomeo and Juliet is helmed by Kelly Asbury, who directed Shrek 2, so while that may not be too exciting, the rest of their slate sounds utterly stunning. The company recently sold Julian Schnabel’s Miral to territories including Singapore and Taiwan, and even sold Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be The Place, a film starring Sean Penn, to Latin America, Poland, and other areas.

While none of these sales related to the U.S. or North America as a whole, if anything, this is great to see fantastic films hit worldwide. Also, if they are selling outside of North America, I can only think as to how quick they are going to go the states. Gnomeo is set to hit stateside in February 2011, so many of these films should be following suit.

Source: Variety

Joshua Brunsting

Josh is a critic, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, a wrestling nerd, a hip-hop head, a father, a cinephile and a man looking to make his stamp on the world, one word at a time.