Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to WRINKLES THE CLOWN. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols and financed and produced by Topic Studios, Wrinkles The Clown will world-premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by an October 4th theatrical release.
It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully–until a disheveled old man disguised as a clown slid out from beneath her bed. Afterward, similar videos started appearing online, showing the clown pushing a cart in a parking lot, waving alongside a busy highway, and holding balloons in front of a suburban home. The unsettling clips, which immediately went viral, launched Wrinkles The Clown to internet infamy. Soon, cryptic stickers with his eerie visage and a phone number were plastered on telephone poles and in bathrooms all over Florida promising to terrify misbehaving children; over one million voicemails were left.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia EVP Dori Begley and Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. Magnolia Head of International Sales Lorna Lee Torres and International Sales Manager Marie Zeniter will launch international sales at the Toronto International Film Festival. All international rights are available.
