AMC acquires 'On the Road' for US Distribution

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Variety It was a long road indeed to U.S. distribution for "On the Road," but on the eve of Cannes, the trip is finally over: AMC Networks has acquired all U.S. distrib rights to Walter Salles' adaptation of the Beat Generation tome by Jack Kerouac, to be released jointly by the company's film distribution labels IFC Films and Sundance Selects sometime this fall.
Sundance Selects/IFC Films plans a traditional theatrical roll-out, and will handle all downstream platforms. Starring Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley and Kirsten Dunst, "On the Road" will world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, which starts next week.
"We are over the moon ecstatic to be involved with this incredible film," Sundance Selects/IFC Films prexy Jonathan Sehring told Variety. The pickup is "a statement not only to our entire organization's love of the project, but to the number of different innovative ways we are going to make sure the film reaches as wide an audience as possible."
Said to be in the low seven figures, deal represents the largest acquisition yet for Sundance/IFC. Parent company AMC Networks plans to use all its platforms -- including cablers AMC, We TV and Sundance Channel -- to promote the pic.
Based on a screenplay by Jose Rivera, the MK2 Production was produced by Nathanael Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Rebecca Yeldham and Roman Coppola for American Zoetrope. Executive producer is Francis Ford Coppola, who bought rights to "On the Road" in 1980.
Cinetic repped the U.S. distrib deal that took months to come together, with several bidders in the mix. A buyers' screening in late February failed to attract a high-profile distributor, which may have had as much to do with the asking price (rumored to be high seven figures) as Salles' artsy approach to the difficult-to-adapt book.
Multiple people who have seen the film agreed that it contains noteworthy performances and cinematography, but add that its two-hours-plus length and nebulous narrative make it a challenge to market to mainstream auds. But "On the Road" has more than one built-in fanbase; Kerouac fans will be eager to check out the "On the Road's" first-ever bigscreen adaptation. And "Twilight" devotees have been constantly buzzing about Stewart's role as Mary Lou since the $25 million project was announced two years ago almost to the day.
The $25 million pic was shot in late 2010 in New Orleans, Montreal, Mexico and Argentina. MK2, which is repping foreign sales, has already peddled "On the Road" in several offshore territories, with more deals expected on the Croisette.

Movieline - Kristen Stewart, On the Road Coming to America Via IFC Films/Sundance Selects.
New York, NY (May 8, 2012) – AMC Networks announced today the acquisition of all US rights to acclaimed filmmaker Walter Salles’ ON THE ROAD to be released jointly by the company’s film distribution labels IFC Films and Sundance Selects. Based on the iconic novel by Jack Kerouac, the film stars Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst and features performances by Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Alice Braga, Elisabeth Moss and Viggo Mortensen. The screenplay is by Jose Rivera (Academy Award® nominee for THE MOTORCYLE DIARIES). The MK2 Production was produced by Nathanael Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Rebecca Yeldham and Roman Coppola for American Zoetrope. Executive producer Francis Ford Coppola has been developing the project since 1978.
The World Premiere for ON THE ROAD is set for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in the Competition Section. A major theatrical release is planned for late Fall.
Josh Sapan, CEO and President of AMC Networks said of the film, “Walter Salles has made an ambitious and accomplished film out of Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel. It’s a classic road movie with career-making performances from Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley, and a terrific showcase for Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst. This exceptional piece of filmmaking is the cinematic equivalent to the ground-breaking original content that our company produces for its networks.”
Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films said: "This is a major step forward for us, and we plan to work across AMC Networks in putting all our resources together to make this theatrical release into a significant cultural event. We will show the same passion in releasing this film as the team took behind producing it. We're honored to be working with our friends Nathanael Karmitz and Charles Gillibert at MK2, Walter Salles, Rebecca Yeldham, Roman Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola."
Nathanael Karmitz (President-MK2) and Charles Gillibert (Producer-MK2) said: "ON THE ROAD changed the lives of many people, it changed the life of MK2 and it will also have that effect on AMC Networks and its labels’ IFC Films and Sundance Selects. We had a lot of interest from US distributors but thecombination of AMC Networks great promotional appeal with IFC Films and Sundance Selects' experience in distribution is an innovative and ambitious way to bring ON THE ROAD great success in the US. We were also very touched by the passionate approach of Josh Sapan and Jonathan Sehring and by the enthusiasm of their team.”
This marks the fourth time that the two companies have collaborated following Olivier Assayas’ SUMMER HOURS, Abbas Kiarostami’s CERTIFIED COPY, Gus Van Sant’s PARANOID PARK and Assayas’ upcoming SOMETHING IN THE AIR.

THR
Cannes 2012: Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart's 'On the Road' Acquired by IFC Films and Sundance Selects.
The two units of AMC Networks will release Walter Salles' adaptation of the Jack Kerouac novel theatrically in the fall.
In advance of the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, IFC Films and Sundance Selects have acquired all U.S. rights to Walter Salles' On the Road, the screen adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s classic novel.
Road will be released jointly by AMC Networks' two film distribution labels theatrically in the late fall.
It’s the fifth time the two companies have collaborated on a film release, having worked together on Olivier Assayas’ Summer Hours, Abbas Kiarostami‘s Certified Copy, Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park and Assayas’ upcoming Something in the Air.
The film about a cross-country road trip stars Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst and features performances by Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Alice Braga, Elisabeth Moss and Viggo Mortensen. Jose Rivera, an Oscar nominee for Salles’ The Motorcycle Diaries, wrote the screenplay. The MK2 production was produced by Nathanael Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Rebecca Yeldham and Roman Coppola for American Zoetrope. Francis Ford Coppola, who has been developing the project since 1978, served as executive producer.
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, senior vp acquisitions and productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films, with Bart Walker of Cinetic repping the producers.
“Walter Salles has made an ambitious and accomplished film out of Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel,” AMC Networks president and CEO Josh Sapan said. "It’s a classic road movie with career-making performances from Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley and a terrific showcase for Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst."
Added Jonathan Sehring, president of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, "This is a major step forward for us, and we plan to work across AMC Networks in putting all our resources together to make this theatrical release into a significant cultural event.”