As a film critic/journalist I get to see a ridiculous number of movies every year, but the sad fact is that there are only so many hours in the day and only so many two hours blocks that can be set aside for screenings. As a result, there are some movies that I don't get to see. While this is sometimes quite alright (I didn't have to watch Zookeeper or Something Borrowed), it's pretty bad when I miss a movie that I really want to see. Martha Marcy May Marlene is unfortunately one of those titles. Premiering at this years Sundance Film Festival and released a couple weeks ago, the Elizabeth Olsen movie has been receiving rave reviews from critics and is considered by some to be one of the best of the year. While I may not end up getting to see the movie for a while, the good news is that the creator's of the film will likely be making many more.
IndieWire reports that Sean Durkin (writer/director), Antonio Campos (producer), and Josh Mond (producer) have signed a first-look deal with Fox Searchlight, the distributor behind Martha Marcy May Marlene. The trio's company, Borderline Films, will now be making projects under Fox's independent banner. Releasing an official statement about the deal, Borderline said, "Fox Searchlight is an ideal home for our company. This partnership allows us to take the momentum we’ve built since launching Borderline in 2003 to an entirely new level." The recently released movie marked the first feature for Durkin, who previously directed two short films, Mary Last Seen and Doris. Campos is currently working on a film called Simon Killer, which Durkin and Mond are producing, though details about the plot are unknown.
Hollywood most definitely needs more and more original storytellers, so this deal is great news. Now let's just hope they get to keep making creative works instead of being forced to make sequels, remakes and television adaptations.
