NEW YORK, October 31, 2007 – Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s new film, which is tentatively titled The Limits of Control. Mr. Jarmusch will start shooting the new picture in Spain in February. Focus Features International will commence overseas sales for the movie this week at the American Film Market. Focus CEO James Schamus made the announcement today.
The pact reunites the writer/director with Focus, which also handled his most recent film, Broken Flowers, after acquiring worldwide rights prior to the start of production. That film world-premiered at the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix. Upon its global release through Focus later that year, it became Mr. Jarmusch’s all-time top-grossing feature.
In addition to Broken Flowers, Mr. Jarmusch’s films include Permanent Vacation, Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, Mystery Train, Night on Earth, Dead Man, Year of the Horse, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Coffee and Cigarettes, and the short film “INT. TRAILER. NIGHT.”
The new film is the story of a mysterious loner, a stranger, whose activities remain meticulously outside the law. He is in the process of completing a job, yet he trusts no one, and his objectives are not initially divulged. The film is set in the striking and varied landscapes of contemporary Spain (both urban and otherwise), and will star Isaach De Bankolé (marking the actor’s fourth collaboration with Mr. Jarmusch) and other acclaimed international actors to be named shortly.
Stacey Smith, who has worked with Mr. Jarmusch for over a decade, and Gretchen McGowan (who co-produced the filmmaker’s Coffee and Cigarettes) will produce the new film. Award-winning cinematographer Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love) will be the film’s director of photography; Eugenio Caballero, an Academy Award winner earlier this year for his art direction of Pan’s Labryinth, will be the film’s production designer. The filmmaker’s longtime collaborator Jay Rabinowitz will edit the feature. Jon Kilik (Babel) will executive-produce the film, continuing his association with Mr. Jarmusch.
President of production John Lyons and senior vice president, European production Teresa Moneo will oversee the project on behalf of Focus. Mr. Jarmusch and his company, PointBlank Films, were represented by Bart Walker of Cinetic Media in negotiating this agreement.
Mr. Schamus commented, “Jim Jarmusch defines what it means to be an independent filmmaker for audiences all over the world, and we’re delighted to rejoin with him following our success together with Broken Flowers.”