Tribeca Film has acquired domestic distribution rights to “How to Make Money Selling Drugs,” a new documentary about the war on drugs, the company announced on Thursday.
The provocative documentary, produced by Bert Marcus and “Enoutrage” star Adrian Grenier, features interviews with everyone from 50 Cent to Eminem to Woody Harrelson.
Director Matthew Cooke and his team also interviewed high-ranking officials like the U.S. Drug Czar, seeking to find a unique perspective on the drug war. It is set up as an instructional video, taking the viewer through the 10-step process of how one moves from being a street dealer to a kingpin.
“This is a work that resonates with truth, anger and insight by an extremely talented filmmaker,” Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises, said in a statement. “From politics to the police and drug dealers to drug users, the scope of Matthew Cooke’s examination of these illicit networks is extraordinary.”
Tribeca plans to release the film theatrically in 2013 day and offer it to viewers via on-demand day and date. The plan is to make it available in more than 40 million homes through those VOD offerings, as well as iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant Video and Xbox.
“Seeing this film find a home with Tribeca after all this time is definitely a dream come true. And the timing couldn't be better,” Cooke said in a statement. “Today America consumes a majority of the marijuana and 40% of the world's cocaine while simultaneously incarcerating more of its citizens than any country in the history of the world. We hope to encourage a national conversation on one of the worst public policy failures of the last 50 years. And do so in a way that's engaging, entertaining and inspiring.”
