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Roman Polanski's 'Carnage' gets North American distribution

Film stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly

By Dave LewisThursday, Apr 14, 2011 1:10 PM

Roman Polanski

Credit: Summit Entertainment

The North American distribution rights to Roman Polanski's "Carnage" (formerly "God of Carnage") have been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. They are expecting the film to be released at the end of 2011.

The film stars stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly.

Polanski ("The Ghost Writer," "The Pianist") co-wrote the script with Yasmina Reza, who wrote the 2009 Tony Award-winning play upon which the film is based.

"Carnage" finds Polanski in familiar dark comedy territory. The film is about bullies, both young and old. One day in a public park, a kid hurts another kid, and the two sets of parents meet to discuss the fight in a friendly manner -- only for tensions to run so high that they themselves resort to child-like violence.

"In today’s world of moviemaking, Roman Polanski, his screenwriting partner Yasmina Reza, his cast, his crew, and his producer Said Ben Said represent the best of the best. We are so fortunate and pleased to bring 'Carnage,' which promises to be an experience of intense emotion and hilarity, to the American audiences," states Sony Pictures Classics in a press release.

Winslet can currently be see in the HBO miniseries "Mildred Pierce" and will soon appear in Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" with Matt Damon.

Reilly was just seen in "Cedar Rapids," and will appear as Dr. Steve Brule in "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie" next year.

Foster will next be seen alongside Mel Gibson in "The Beaver," which she also directed, while Waltz is co-starring in "Water For Elephants" with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson.

With classic films like "Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown," "Repulsion" and others to choose from, what's your favorite Polanski film?

Dave Lewis
Producer

Dave Lewis has been a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer and editor for nearly ten years. Originally hailing from Minneapolis, he moved to L.A. in 1996 to attend USC, before working for various periodicals and web sites including a lengthy stint at Variety.com. He joined the HitFix staff in 2011.

Related Searches: Roman Polanski, Carnage, Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz

echos myron

The premise should have involved a grown man molesting a kid at a public park.
April 14, 2011 at 1:36PM EST Reply to Comment
- Try reading the play before making cracks like that.
  April 14, 2011 at 2:51PM EST
Heather

He candidly admitted to drugging and raping a child, so I won't be watching his films anymore, no matter how brilliant.
April 14, 2011 at 3:03PM EST Reply to Comment
- Steven Flores Oh shut up. You will. The man did his time so get over it.
  April 14, 2011 at 4:35PM EST
- Ben wtf are you talkin about Steve you moron he flew the country to avoid going to jail so stfu....i don't give a flying fuck how good he is at his job he's a bastard who got away with it.
  April 14, 2011 at 8:28PM EST
- terr Ben, he actually did go to jail for 42 days and was released. He was guilty of unlawful sex with a minor. After he'd been released, the judge went back on the agreement and was to sentence him to more time, so he fled. "so stfu...."
  April 15, 2011 at 4:31PM EST
- Emily http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-polanskis-carnage/ All of you need to read this... transcript of court.... Terr he didn't actually go to jail. those 42 days he was undergoing evaluation because they needed to understand his mental state before sentencing him... After the 42 days pics of him and another child were released so he fled.
  April 20, 2011 at 9:35PM EST
- terr Emily, He was undergoing evaluation at Chino State Prison. That's a fact.
  April 29, 2011 at 5:47PM EST
tanner

If you HATE him so much why waste so much time obsessing over him? Seriously, get a life! He was probably one of the greatest living directors still working today. The man's work is brilliant. I could care less about his private life(however,he has been married over 20 years and seems very happy)
April 14, 2011 at 7:49PM EST Reply to Comment
Caroline

Way to go Sony, giving a criminal fugitive still hiding out in France for drugging, raping and sodomizing a 13 year old kid. But it's just a no-name girl so go cares right? Art before justice. I'm sure Osama bin Laden might need a distributor for his next propaganda film so please sign him up. I haven't watched ONE Roman Polanski movie since finding out about him and I won't watch any of his future films. No one is above the law in my book, not even a rich and famous director.
April 14, 2011 at 8:17PM EST Reply to Comment
- Ben agreed.
  April 14, 2011 at 8:22PM EST
- fairportfan Nor is the judge above the law who was going to throw out the plea bargain that had been fully agreed on.
  April 15, 2011 at 12:51AM EST
- Doh! Hey Caroline, no one is above the Law...True.
  
  But YOU'RE *NOT* THE LAW, Honey.
  
  Go back to the kitchen where you belong and make me a sandwich.
  
  People who say PUBLICLY that they will stop watching any Polanski-directed film in the theatres, will secretly watch it when it comes out on video.
  
  And those who choose to watch Polanski's film in the theatres are the ones who either :
  
  1.) Don't want to punish the actors/actresses for something that the director did
  
  or
  
  2.) The audience just doesn't give a fk what he did in his private life so long as he continues to direct movies.
  
  April 15, 2011 at 8:17PM EST
- saul Hey Doh!, while I understand that the "go back to the kitchen..." remark was a joke, it very much did not help your argument and wasn't all that funny either. I basically agree with the side you take, though.
  April 18, 2011 at 2:53PM EST
- The comparison between the film getting distribution and bin Laden is one of the funniest things I have ever read. Thank you. Your overly dramatic comment, made me imagine the two of sitting in a cave comparing notes on how to avoid capture and extradition to the US. I'm in no way codoning what Polanski did but is it really on the same level as massacring 1000s of people and changing the course of our society?
  
  Avoiding his films on moral grounds is totally up to you. I have to separate the artist from the art. Triumph of the Will and Birth of a Nation were terribly racist propaganda films made by a Nazi and a racist respectively yet I was shown both in film school. Did I like or enjoy them? Not at all but I can respect the innovations that they brought to my favorite art form. Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby are too amazing to ignore regardless of the director's behavior in his personal life. If I boycotted every celebrity or sports star who did something I found morally wrong, I may as well not even turn on the tv. It's the art that's important not the people. They are the ones that have to live with their actions, not me.
  
  I know I can't change your mind but in the end it's your loss.
  April 30, 2011 at 2:22PM EST
Emily

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-polanskis-carnage/

Too many of you are posting incorrect facts about Polanski. He did not do any jail time.
April 20, 2011 at 9:38PM EST Reply to Comment
- Jo This link will show you the transcript from the courts. You are ridiculous to take what you read in the news as fact. Journalists are not lawyers, understand? they are selling stories.
  April 20, 2011 at 9:39PM EST
- terr As Polanski's victim has said, "it wasn't as bad as the grand jury testimony." She claimed it was only rape because she was 13.
  April 29, 2011 at 5:59PM EST
Andrew ullman

Although I would never condone polinski's actions decades ago, I don't understand all the fuss after we had a president who fcked the entire country, children and adults for eight years.
April 30, 2011 at 8:37AM EST Reply to Comment
KB

For those of you who won't see his films do to his legal issue, I'll assume you won't be watching the Lakers because Kobe Bryant is a rapist as well.
May 8, 2011 at 6:27PM EST Reply to Comment

Roman Polanski's 'Carnage' gets North American distribution

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

echos myron The premise should have involved a grown man molesting a kid at a public park.

Try reading the play before making cracks like that.

Heather He candidly admitted to drugging and raping a child, so I won't be watching his films anymore, no matter how brilliant.

Steven Flores Oh shut up. You will. The man did his time so get over it.

Ben wtf are you talkin about Steve you moron he flew the country to avoid going to jail so stfu....i don't give a flying fuck how good he is at his job he's a bastard who got away with it.

terr Ben, he actually did go to jail for 42 days and was released. He was guilty of unlawful sex with a minor. After he'd been released, the judge went back on the agreement and was to sentence him to more time, so he fled. "so stfu...."

terr Emily, He was undergoing evaluation at Chino State Prison. That's a fact.

Ben agreed.

fairportfan Nor is the judge above the law who was going to throw out the plea bargain that had been fully agreed on.

saul Hey Doh!, while I understand that the "go back to the kitchen..." remark was a joke, it very much did not help your argument and wasn't all that funny either. I basically agree with the side you take, though.

Emily http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-polanskis-carnage/ Too many of you are posting incorrect facts about Polanski. He did not do any jail time.

Jo This link will show you the transcript from the courts. You are ridiculous to take what you read in the news as fact. Journalists are not lawyers, understand? they are selling stories.

terr As Polanski's victim has said, "it wasn't as bad as the grand jury testimony." She claimed it was only rape because she was 13.

Andrew ullman Although I would never condone polinski's actions decades ago, I don't understand all the fuss after we had a president who fcked the entire country, children and adults for eight years.

KB For those of you who won't see his films do to his legal issue, I'll assume you won't be watching the Lakers because Kobe Bryant is a rapist as well.

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echos myron

The premise should have involved a grown man molesting a kid at a public park.

Heather

He candidly admitted to drugging and raping a child, so I won't be watching his films anymore, no matter how brilliant.

Emily

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-polanskis-carnage/

Too many of you are posting incorrect facts about Polanski. He did not do any jail time.

Andrew ullman

Although I would never condone polinski's actions decades ago, I don't understand all the fuss after we had a president who fcked the entire country, children and adults for eight years.

KB

For those of you who won't see his films do to his legal issue, I'll assume you won't be watching the Lakers because Kobe Bryant is a rapist as well.

Be the first to know - sign up now to get an instant e-mail alert
whenever something big happens in Movies, TV or Music