It appears that Cloud Atlas, the ambitious sci-fi genre bending film directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer, has been screening around the world recently. We have twitter confirmation of screenings in London and Los Angeles, and now news that it is being screened for potential financial backers in Cannes. The initial buzz on the film and acting is extremely good, with comments like:
@ArcaneMovieTees Saw #cloudatlas last night. Was really good. Great storytelling and some fantastic acting!
@Jon_young Just seen test screening of Cloud Atlas - not the final version but looks like they’ve done a surprisingly good job of adapting it.
@DailyBlam The Wachowskis’ screened a first cut of first upcoming Cloud Atlas adaptation in the UK today. It ran almost 4 hours long and well received
Here’s what Thompson on Hollywood has to say:
As the major studios focus on big-budget FX and brand-name tentpoles, and micro-indies spread like kudzu, the middle ranks of movies are being funded and produced outside the studio system. This is good and bad.
On the positive side you get movies like the ambitious adaptation of David Mitchell’s sprawling multi-period “Cloud Atlas,” which was unaffordable at $170 million when Warner Bros. budgeted it–and passed. But the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer raised money overseas and shot it for $101 million with a discounted Tom Hanks (who even gave up his usual back end). The studio bought all North American rights for about $20 million, and the movie got made the way the Wachowskis and Tykwer wanted it on foreign pre-sales. And the finished 2 hours and 44-minute movie, which Warners’ Jeff Robinov has approved even though it exceeded the contractual two and half hours, screened Tuesday at Cannes for four remaining territories, including the U.K., France, Japan and Spain.
Producer Grant Hill told me at the DDA party that Warners plans to open the movie stateside December 6 (although the date could move) and will screen it at Berlin. That makes it Oscar eligible.
Our own co-webmistress Liz has obtained passes to the screening in Pasadena, CA taking place tonight!!! Although she won’t be able to report much because of pre-screening confidentiality agreements, she should be able to give us a few “non-spoiler tidbits to chew on” concerning our favorite Englishman, Jim Sturgess, who we know has roles in all six of the story-lines in the film adapted from David Mitchell’s acclaimed novel.
Lastly here’s what The Playlist has to say about the release date & screen time:
What’s more, a stateside release date is being reported, with Warner Bros. opening the film in America on December 6th. This release date (in prime Oscar territory), along with the lax approach to the running time, indicates to us that the film is really, really good, and the fact that the movie is already finished means that Warner Bros. can screen it earlier and get the buzz rolling.
