Director Andrew Jarecki ("Capturing the Friedmans") has cut a deal to get the domestic theatrical rights to his feature debut "All Good Things" from the Weinstein Co. and is looking for a new U.S. distributor for the movie.
"All Good Things," starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst is inspired by the true story of Robert Durst, the scion of a wealthy New York family who was acquitted of killing his neighbor and whose first wife vanished into thin air. Durst at one point took to dressing as a woman, and he has provided plenty of fodder for the New York tabloids over the years. Jarecki has brought the same meticulous approach to "All Good Things" that he used with the critically acclaimed documentary "Capturing the Friedmans," which was about a New York family that is rocked by accusations of pedophilia. The director spent years investigating all aspects of the case, and the movie spans about three decades of Durst's life.
"All Good Things" was filmed in 2008. There was talk that it was headed for a fall 2009 release, but that never materialized. There have been debates between Jarecki and the Weinstein Co. for some time about how best to release the movie.
"We had a different strategy for how we wanted to release the picture," said David Glasser, a senior executive at the Weinstein Co. who also oversees distribution. "He purchased the rights back," Glasser said, adding that, "this is not something we normally or traditionally do."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Jarecki, who founded Moviefone, spent several million dollars to regain the U.S. rights. Weinstein Co. paid $6 million to $8 million for the film, a person familiar with the situation said.
While the Weinstein Co. will not release the movie in the U.S., it did keep international rights for the film, as well as the basic cable television rights. Jarecki got the pay television rights back.
"It was very amicable and friendly," Glasser said.
Jarecki's team at Creative Artists Agency have been meeting with potential distributors and hope to have a deal in place shortly.
-Thoughts on this unique deal?
I'm just glad it should soon have a clearer fate...
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