IFC Nabs Gunn's Super

Generally every year at San Diego Comic Con there is one movie I walk away very excited about. Some years its a movie that is under the radar, other years its a major movie everyone is stoked for. This year it was James Gunn's "Super" which mainly falls in the earlier category. Last week at the Toronto International Film Festival the indie dramedy premiered to solid reviews and yesterday IFC purchased the property. Take a look at the full details below...

"Super" official synopsis: Frank’s (Rainn Wilson) wife leaves him for a seductive, psychopathic drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), Frank is transformed and the Crimson Bolt is born. With a hand-made suit, a wrench, and a crazed sidekick named Boltie (Ellen Page), the Crimson Bolt beats his way through the mean streets of crime in hopes of saving his wife (Liv Tyler). The rules were written a long time ago: You are not supposed to molest children, cut lines or key cars; if you do, prepare to face the wrath of the Crimson Bolt!

The deal for "Super" is reported to be $7 million which is steep for what IFC generally pays, however there was a strong amount of buzz around the James Gunn title and other distributors like Magnolia were circling. No official word has been announced by IFC stating exactly how they will roll out the Rainn Wilson wanabe superhero comedy yet, but chances are IFC will once again roll out the film both OnDemand and in limited theaters.

The IFC OnDemand rollout is especially nice for people that just don't get out to the movies as often as I do. Folks like my parents who will say to most movies, we can just catch it on DVD or cable. I'm sure this sentiment is a lot more wide spread than studios or the general public likes to admit. But when you see some of the profit margins certain movies have made on home video, there's no denying there's big bucks in the sales. People and families like to enjoy a movie from the comfort of their own home and rolling out certain films in this manner is smart. I'm a rarity, because if I see a movie OnDemand that I really like and it is later released into limited theaters, I will probably go see it again for the theater experience. For most that is not the case and IFC has found a way to hit that demographic which seems to refuse to go out to the theaters.

It will be interesting to see how "Super" fairs when it releases. The last two comedy/actions that can draw comparisons, "Kick-Ass" and "Defendor" did not have the reception many thought they would. In the end, I'm just glad James Gunn's property had enough buzz around it that a solid distributor picked it up for release. The rest is just plain semantics. Stay tuned for more on "Super" as it breaks....

Source: Deadline