Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired North American rights to Filth, a black comedy based on the novel by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting). Golden Globe nominee James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class, The Last King of Scotland) leads an ensemble cast that also includes Jamie Bell (Nymphomaniac, Snowpiercer), Imogen Poots (A Late Quartet), Eddie Marsan (“Ray Donovan”), Shirley Henderson (Anna Karenina, Trainspotting) and Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent (Cloud Atlas, The Iron Lady).
Filth currently ranks as the year’s second highest-grossing R-rated film in the UK and it has garnered British Independent Film Award nominations for James McAvoy (Best Actor), Jon S. Baird (Best Director), Shirley Henderson (Best Supporting Actress), Eddie Marsan (Best Supporting Actor) and a nomination for Best Achievement in Production.
McAvoy plays Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, a scheming, manipulative, misanthropic man who spends his time indulging in drugs, alcohol, sexually abusive relationships, and “the games” – cruel plots and systematic bullying of his coworkers and friends. While working on the murder case of a Japanese student, he starts coming unhinged, slowly losing his grip on reality and suffering from a series of increasingly severe hallucinations as he desperately tries to hold his life together.
“Very funny and deeply disturbing in all the right ways, ‘Filth’ is a wild ride, driven by a performance for the ages from James McAvoy,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “‘Filth’ is going to join the ranks of ‘Trainspotting’ as a cult classic.”
Producer Ken Marshall states: “Magnolia is a brave company that consistently backs original, visionary films. Their passion for ‘Filth’ gives us great comfort that they will handle this unique film in the best way possible.”
Said director Jon S. Baird: “‘Filth’ at its core is a tragic love story and the darkest of fairytales, but in Bruce Robertson, has the ultimate in anti-heroes.”
Filth was written and directed by Jon S. Baird, who also produced through his Logie Pictures banner with Ken Marshall for Steel Mill Pictures, Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray for Maven Pictures, James McAvoy, Christian Angermayer and Jens Meurer for Film House Germany, Mark Amin and Will Clarke.
Magnolia is eyeing a theatrical release in the spring of 2014.
