Magnolia Pictures is getting into the John Wilson business.
The independent film distributor has acquired North American rights to Wilson’s “The History of Concrete,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to rapturous reviews. Wilson is best known for his HBO series “How To with John Wilson.” Magnolia is planning a theatrical release for later this year.
“Following the finale of his TV series, filmmaker John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world’s most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter,” per the synopsis. “To tell this seemingly drab story, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to increase his movie’s appeal.”
“Magnolia has long championed artistic and unconventional filmmaking, so it’s a real honor to have ‘The History of Concrete’ join that legacy,” Wilson said in a Wednesday statement. “This is a film that was always meant to be experienced collectively, and I can’t wait for audiences to discover it in a real-life movie theater. Despite what the title might suggest, it’s also a great date movie!”
“John Wilson’s singular wit and wisdom make us want to get out and walk every block of every borough of New York, despite having lived here for decades,” Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley added. “The film is a wildly funny odyssey that will literally change the way you see things.”
“The History of Concrete” was produced by Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak and Allie Viti. Executive producers are Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Conor Hannon and Richie Doyle, with co-producer Francis Carr Jr. The doc was edited by Cori Wapnowska.
Magnolia is about to embark on their widest release ever, for small town thriller “Normal” from British filmmaker Ben Wheatley and star Bob Odenkirk. They also picked up Olivia Wilde’s “I Want Your Sex” from Sundance, set for release later this year.
