Roman Polanski's name might be associated as much with controversy as it is with the notable films he's directed, particularly with the attention his scandal has gotten in recent years. The man behind Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown was arrested in 1977 for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. He pled guilty to the charge, but upon learning that the judge was going to give him jail time for the crime, he fled the U.S. and went to Europe where he lived for decades. He was arrested in 2009 in Switzerland but not extradited to the U.S. and was later released.
Marina Zenovich's documentary Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out is a follow-up to her award-winning 2009 film Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, and this week Showtime announced that they have acquired the rights to air the film. Odd Man Out debuted at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and looks at the controversial and celebrated filmmaker with a focus on his arrest in 2009 at the Zurich Film Festival, which led to a 10-month imprisonment.
Emmy winning director Marina Zenovich, who also serves as narrator, explores the bizarre clash of politics, celebrity justice and the media as she sheds new light on the infamous saga of Polanski’s sexual abuse case and his escape from Swiss house arrest.
As Polanski is still active in the film community and has yet to return to the U.S. since fleeing to avoid sentencing, he's still a topic of interest and discussion for many, so a follow-up documentary should get some attention. Showtime hasn't mentioned any specific date for the documentary, but we should expect it to air sometime next year (2013). In the meantime, Zeonvich is currently directing an original documentary for Showtime called Richard Pryor: Omit the logic, which will focus on the comedian's life and will also air sometime next year.
