Writers: Mac Gudgeon, Denise Young
Cast: Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell, Anita Hegh
Distributor: Music Box Films
Australian film The Last Ride has traveled the festival circuit for some time. Made in 2009 and starring Hugo Weaving (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Matrix films) who plays a criminal who travels with his estranged young son across Australia to avoid capture. “It’s a movie we first saw at a festival,” Music Box’s managing director Edward Arentz said. “It played Palm Springs in 2010 and AFM before that.” Arentz said they liked the film but that it “took a little while for our interest to coincide with the sales agents’ and the producers’ interests.” He added, “The director is super talented. He had a short in 2003 (Cracker Bag) that won the Palme d’Or in Cannes .” Arentz said the film could have a broad audience, but may face a struggle with a traditional release in the U.S. “In some respects, it may be too violent for a core art house audience,” he said. “It’s a bleak but beautiful story.”
New Yorkers and Angelenos, however, won’t get first crack at The Last Ride. Chicago will have the film’s first showing this weekend because of strong critical support from a famous local. “Roger Ebert loves the movie which is why Chicago is leading with the release,” said Arentz. “It’s definitely in the day and date with VOD mode. It will be on iTunes, Amazon and various cable outlets beginning this Friday as well.” The Last Ride will open in New York July 6th.