Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired all U.S. rights to The Shrouds, written and directed by David Cronenberg (Crash, Crimes Of The Future) and are planning a spring 2025 theatrical release.
The film world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it screened In Competition. It played the Toronto International Film Festival as a Special Presentation and is set for its U.S. premiere in the Main Slate at the New York Film Festival next month.
The deal was negotiated by Sideshow and Janus Films with SBS International. Producers are Saïd Ben Saïd, Martin Katz and Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent. It’s an SBS, Prospero Pictures & Saint Laurent Productions Film with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Eurimages, Ontario Creates in association with Sphere Films, Crave & CBC Films with the support of Canal +, OCS & the Centre National du Cinema et de L’image Animée.
“Building on a long history with David Cronenberg that has included releases of Videodrome, Scanners, The Brood, Crash, Dead Ringers, and Naked Lunch, Janus Films and Criterion are very proud to be working with Sideshow and Saïd Ben Saïd, Martin Katz and Anthony Vaccarello to premiere The Shrouds, a major new work by the Canadian master in the United States,” said Sideshow/Janus.
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The partners called The Shrouds‘ “Cronenberg at his wittiest, most personal and romantic in this thought-provoking thriller with knockout performances from Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger.” The film also stars Guy Pearce and Sandrine Holt.
Karsh (Cassel) is a prominent businessman inconsolable since the death of his wife, who invents GraveTech, a revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in their shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated. Karsh sets out to track down the perpetrators.
New distribution label Sideshow has partnered with Janus Films since 2021 to acquire international films that feel notable. They had a hit out of the gate in with Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winner Drive My Car, followed by Jerzy Skolimowski’s much decorated EO.
Sideshow/Janus Films will present five films at the upcoming NYFF including Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Jia Zhangke’s Caught By The Tides, Leos Carax’s It’s Not Me and Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia.
They recently acquired Venice Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize winner Vermiglio, directed by Maura Delpero.
Recent releases include Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist, Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast and Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer.
Upcoming releases include Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light on November 15, and Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow on November 22nd.