No Theatrical Release for Ryan Gosling's Directorial Debut, 'Lost River'

Did you forget that Ryan Gosling's directorial debut,  Lost River, debuted at Cannes earlier this year? You might've, since there has been absolutely zero talk about it since. The film entered riding a solid wave of buzz from those who hadn't seen it yet, mainly because of Gosling and the cast he assembled. Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Sofia Vergara, Matt Smith, Ben Mendelsohn, and Saoirse Ronan starred in the dark fairy tale about a mother and son who venture into an underwater utopia. But then the Cannes reviews hit and boy did it get savaged. So went any hope for Warner Bros., who shelled out $3M to buy the film before the festival, to find a distributor.

And now following on the heels of The Interview's incredible VOD release last week, Warner Bros. has decided Lost River will go a similar route. The film be available through home entertainment rather than a theatrical run, so expect it to appear on VOD and Blu-Ray probably at the same time. Of course, it's not going to do nearly as well as Sony's assassination comedy, but at least we'll have a chance to see the movie at all. For awhile there it wasn't looking like we would.

It's probably for the best, anyway; a film like this would have had a tough time finding elbow room in multiplexes. Still, this has to be disappointing for Gosling as he ventures into a new career path. Hopefully it doesn't discourage him from trying again on another project, maybe one with his pal Nicolas Winding Refn?

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After Tough Cannes Debut, Ryan Gosling's 'Lost River' Shopped by Warner Bros.

Have you been keeping up on the reactions to Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, Lost River? They haven't been good at all (27% on Rotten Tomatoes) as critics trounced the film after its Cannes premiere last night, possibly shutting down this new phase in Gosling's career before it has really even begun. Warner Bros. picked up the distribution rights to it last year and paid a hefty price for it, banking that Gosling's name would make it worthwhile.

Now Deadline reports the studio is shopping the film around to distributors with a focus on indie and specialty projects. It's unclear whether they're looking to pawn off a potential flop on somebody else, or if they realize art house flicks aren't really their strength. Either way, it speaks to the fact that Warner Bros. does not think they can do anything with the biggest disaster coming out of Cannes. The only people happy about all of this are Atom Egoyan and Ryan Reynolds because it takes the attention off of The Captive, which audiences booed into oblivion.

In the end this might be the best thing for Gosling. The report suggests Gosling planned to release it later this year, and maybe that was the case before last night, but now that would almost certainly be a mistake.  A small distributor may be open to seeking out a more opportune release window.

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First Footage from Ryan Gosling's Directorial Debut, 'Lost River'

It should come as no surprise that Ryan Gosling, who has found a kindred spirit with Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn (Only God Forgives), would make his directorial debut on a film that's a little off the beaten path. That film is Lost River (formerly How to Catch a Monster) and premieres in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes this month when it's likely to draw huge crowds anxious to see how he makes the transition to filmmaker. As the first teaser from the film has been revealed we also can see some of the influences Gosling is drawing upon, which includes the aforementioned Refn. Here are a few words from his official Cannes statement...

"This film was, in a lot ways, a gift from the directors I've been working with over the last few years. I've gone between acting in films completely based in reality with Derek Cianfrance to the fevered dreams of Nicolas Winding Refn. I think I've vacillated between these two extremes because my own sensibilities as a filmmaker lay somewhere in-between."

Filmed in Detroit and taking place in the fictional, rundown town of Lost River, the film stars Christina Hendricks (Gosling's Drive co-star) as Billy, a mother of two swept up into a dark and macabre underworld while her teenaged son discovers a mysterious road to an underwater town. There's a number of striking images here and a dark carnival atmosphere surrounding Agents of SHIELD star, Iain De Caestecker. Also seen in this clip is Matt Smith (Doctor Who), joined in the cast by Saoirse Ronan and Gosling's The Place Beyond the Pines co-stars Ben Mendelsohn and Eva Mendes.


Extrait : Lost River, de Ryan Gosling by Telerama_BA

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