Magnolia has taken North America rights on Louis Theroux’s “My Scientology Movie,” ahead of its Cannes market screening. Altitude Film Distribution will distribute the film in the U.K.
Deals have also just been agreed for Australia (Madman), Belgium (Dalton) and Netherlands (Cinema Delicatessen). HanWay Select is handling sales on the pic, which premiered at the London Film Festival, and more recently had its international premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
John Dower’s film is Theroux’s first theatrical feature documentary, and sees him immersing himself in the religion’s teachings and practices with one of its key defectors, Mark “Marty” Rathbun, and invoking the ire of the Church in the process.
The film was produced by Simon Chinn through his production company Red Box Films, and was financed by BBC Films and BBC Worldwide. Executive producers are Christine Langan, Charlotte Moore and Joe Oppenheimer for BBC Films, and Mark Reynolds and Stephen McDonogh for BBC Worldwide.
Hamish Moseley, Altitude’s head of distribution, said: “‘My Scientology Movie’ is an incredibly funny, fascinating and at times unnerving insight into the infamous and controversial religion. Louis brings his inimitable, approachable style to the big screen where it feels at home with the subject matter, and we plan to celebrate Louis’s big screen debut with a number of unmissable events in U.K. cinemas in the lead up to the release later in 2016.”
