Buckle up and get ready to hit the road with two young women who’ve stumbled upon a mysterious briefcase full of trouble! A new Drive-Away Dolls trailer is barreling down the information highway today, with plenty of kooky characters hitchhiking aboard the new comedy co-written by husband and wife duo Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke.
The Ethan Coen-directed comedy revolves around Jamie (Margaret Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her timid friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon join Qualley and Viswanathan for Coen and Cooke’s unique crime caper, with Focus Features handling domestic distribution.
The Ethan Coen-directed comedy revolves around Jamie (Margaret Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her timid friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon join Qualley and Viswanathan for Coen and Cooke’s unique crime caper, with Focus Features handling domestic distribution.
- 2/6/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
The erotic thriller is back, and you'd have to be a prudish killjoy to lament its return.
The subgenre has its roots in the pre-code movies of the 1920s, and '30s, and films noir of the '40s and '50s, but the formula as it exists today was codified in 1980 with Paul Schrader's "American Gigolo" and, most vitally, Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill". And thanks to Karina Longworth's deep dive into best and worst of the subgenre via her indispensable podcast "You Must Remember This," younger viewers who weren't there for the '80s and '90s heyday are now revisiting the stylish highs and Skinemax lows of films in which people occasionally take a break from screwing to commit a string of murders (or investigate said murders with alarming aloofness).
As movies (especially studio productions) got progressively less sexy throughout the 2000s, the...
The subgenre has its roots in the pre-code movies of the 1920s, and '30s, and films noir of the '40s and '50s, but the formula as it exists today was codified in 1980 with Paul Schrader's "American Gigolo" and, most vitally, Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill". And thanks to Karina Longworth's deep dive into best and worst of the subgenre via her indispensable podcast "You Must Remember This," younger viewers who weren't there for the '80s and '90s heyday are now revisiting the stylish highs and Skinemax lows of films in which people occasionally take a break from screwing to commit a string of murders (or investigate said murders with alarming aloofness).
As movies (especially studio productions) got progressively less sexy throughout the 2000s, the...
- 12/2/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Sanctuary is a psychological thriller directed by Zachary Wigon from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg. Starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott in the lead role of a dominatrix and Hal, who is soon becoming a CEO of a large corporation and that’s why he wants to end his relationship with the dominatrix as he fears that it will come out later. This starts off a dark and twisted night that will leave you gasping for air. So, if you loved Sanctuary here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Secretary (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lions Gate Films
Synopsis: Before Fifty Shades Of Grey, there was Secretary. James Spader leads this sexy and daring comedy as the original Mr. Grey, a seemingly normal lawyer whose relationship with his new secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal) descends into a kinky affair that would give nightmares to any human resource director!
Eyes Wide Shut...
Secretary (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lions Gate Films
Synopsis: Before Fifty Shades Of Grey, there was Secretary. James Spader leads this sexy and daring comedy as the original Mr. Grey, a seemingly normal lawyer whose relationship with his new secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal) descends into a kinky affair that would give nightmares to any human resource director!
Eyes Wide Shut...
- 9/23/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Bottoms (Emma Seligman)
It’s beginning to feel like South By Southwest is the Rachel Sennott Festival. After breaking out there three years ago with Shiva Baby (the movie premiered as a short in 2018 and would have again as a feature in 2020 if not for the pandemic), she made waves last year in Austin with sleeper horror hit Bodies Bodies Bodies. Now Sennott’s back with Bottoms, one of two new movies she’s headlining this week, and which adopts many characteristics of an SXSW offering: it’s gay, it’s bloody, and it’s horny. – Jake K. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Cassandro (Roger Ross Williams)
Rather than reverting to a traditional biopic structure––i.e. a greatest hits (and...
Bottoms (Emma Seligman)
It’s beginning to feel like South By Southwest is the Rachel Sennott Festival. After breaking out there three years ago with Shiva Baby (the movie premiered as a short in 2018 and would have again as a feature in 2020 if not for the pandemic), she made waves last year in Austin with sleeper horror hit Bodies Bodies Bodies. Now Sennott’s back with Bottoms, one of two new movies she’s headlining this week, and which adopts many characteristics of an SXSW offering: it’s gay, it’s bloody, and it’s horny. – Jake K. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Cassandro (Roger Ross Williams)
Rather than reverting to a traditional biopic structure––i.e. a greatest hits (and...
- 9/22/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Two time Emmy-nominated actor Margaret Qualley has signed with CAA for representation.
Qualley, who was previously at UTA, received major awards recognition for her performance in the title role of Netflix’s well reviewed and very popular limited series Maid with Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and Critics’ Choice Award nominations. She previously earned Emmy and Critics’ Choice nominations for the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon.
This fall, Qualley will appear opposite Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Upcoming films also include Yorgos Lanthimos’ And, with Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone; Ethan Coen’s film Drive-Away Dolls; and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, in which she stars opposite Demi Moore.
Qualley most recently starred opposite Christopher Abbott in Zachary Wigon’s feature Sanctuary, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in May. Her...
Qualley, who was previously at UTA, received major awards recognition for her performance in the title role of Netflix’s well reviewed and very popular limited series Maid with Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and Critics’ Choice Award nominations. She previously earned Emmy and Critics’ Choice nominations for the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon.
This fall, Qualley will appear opposite Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Upcoming films also include Yorgos Lanthimos’ And, with Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone; Ethan Coen’s film Drive-Away Dolls; and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, in which she stars opposite Demi Moore.
Qualley most recently starred opposite Christopher Abbott in Zachary Wigon’s feature Sanctuary, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in May. Her...
- 8/28/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Neon has expanded their marketing ranks by tapping A24 vets Alexandra Altschuler as VP Media and Don Wilcox as VP Marketing.
The duo arrive at the studio during a busy fall that includes the Venice Film Festival premiere and Christmas theatrical release of Michael Mann’s Ferrari, starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shaliene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey, and Jack O’Connell, as well as the Anne Hathaway thriller, Eileen.
At A24, Altschuler helped launch several Oscar-winning projects during her five-year run. Most recently, she worked on A24’s Australian horror box office hit, Talk to Me, which is nearing $40M WW. Previously, Altschuler served as a Paid Social Manager at Operam, Inc. and held roles at ABC Television, NBC Universal, and E! Online. She is a graduate of University of Southern California.
Wilcox spent the last year and a half leading International Marketing at A24. Noteworthy campaigns include Academy Award-winners Everything Everywhere All at Once...
The duo arrive at the studio during a busy fall that includes the Venice Film Festival premiere and Christmas theatrical release of Michael Mann’s Ferrari, starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shaliene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey, and Jack O’Connell, as well as the Anne Hathaway thriller, Eileen.
At A24, Altschuler helped launch several Oscar-winning projects during her five-year run. Most recently, she worked on A24’s Australian horror box office hit, Talk to Me, which is nearing $40M WW. Previously, Altschuler served as a Paid Social Manager at Operam, Inc. and held roles at ABC Television, NBC Universal, and E! Online. She is a graduate of University of Southern California.
Wilcox spent the last year and a half leading International Marketing at A24. Noteworthy campaigns include Academy Award-winners Everything Everywhere All at Once...
- 8/17/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive, Updated with more details, confirmation from Neon: Neon has acquired distribution rights to Ferrari, the Michael Mann-directed epic film starring Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz. It will get a Christmas Day 2023 theatrical release.
The movie is expected to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the movie-awards season, and Neon will be a strong driver for the picture. It closed the acquisition of the film in a highly competitive North American deal and I heard A24, another studio and a streamer were also in the mix.
“Michael Mann, one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema, was moved by the power of this intensely dramatic story to persist for years to bring it to the big screen,” Neon CEO and founder Tom Quinn said Monday. “Ferrari reaffirms Neon’s continued commitment to...
The movie is expected to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the movie-awards season, and Neon will be a strong driver for the picture. It closed the acquisition of the film in a highly competitive North American deal and I heard A24, another studio and a streamer were also in the mix.
“Michael Mann, one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema, was moved by the power of this intensely dramatic story to persist for years to bring it to the big screen,” Neon CEO and founder Tom Quinn said Monday. “Ferrari reaffirms Neon’s continued commitment to...
- 7/10/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Armageddon Time (James Gray)
Armageddon Time is the sort of film usually invoked as a “portrait of the nation” or “state of the union address,” something taking the temperature of a country—most likely the United States—at a particular time in history. But it’s also a work that makes self-consciousness a virtue: its wonderful writer-director, James Gray, is informed up to his eyes about the virtues and pitfalls of films like these, and here makes something so idiosyncratically his own but that audiences and critics might still mislabel with one of those aforementioned ideas. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: Prime Video
Godland (Hlynur Pálmason)
Featuring onscreen text explaining how the film was inspired by left-behind photos taken by...
Armageddon Time (James Gray)
Armageddon Time is the sort of film usually invoked as a “portrait of the nation” or “state of the union address,” something taking the temperature of a country—most likely the United States—at a particular time in history. But it’s also a work that makes self-consciousness a virtue: its wonderful writer-director, James Gray, is informed up to his eyes about the virtues and pitfalls of films like these, and here makes something so idiosyncratically his own but that audiences and critics might still mislabel with one of those aforementioned ideas. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: Prime Video
Godland (Hlynur Pálmason)
Featuring onscreen text explaining how the film was inspired by left-behind photos taken by...
- 6/23/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Sanctuary,” in theaters now.
At first glance, Zachary Wigon’s new film “Sanctuary” might seem simple — it was shot in 18 days in a 1,200 square foot room with a two-person cast, after all. But within those four walls lies a complex and wildly entertaining tale full of sex, humor, dominion and desire.
The dark comedy-thriller tells the story of Rebecca, a dominatrix played by Margaret Qualley, and the complicated power dynamic she has with her client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), who is the new heir of his father’s lucrative hotel business. Because of the confidence she’s brought Hal through her sex work, Rebecca believes she’s entitled to part of his fortune. Hal disagrees.
Over the course of one long night, “Sanctuary” layers roleplay on top of reality to blur the actuality of power. The audience is constantly questioning who is really in...
At first glance, Zachary Wigon’s new film “Sanctuary” might seem simple — it was shot in 18 days in a 1,200 square foot room with a two-person cast, after all. But within those four walls lies a complex and wildly entertaining tale full of sex, humor, dominion and desire.
The dark comedy-thriller tells the story of Rebecca, a dominatrix played by Margaret Qualley, and the complicated power dynamic she has with her client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), who is the new heir of his father’s lucrative hotel business. Because of the confidence she’s brought Hal through her sex work, Rebecca believes she’s entitled to part of his fortune. Hal disagrees.
Over the course of one long night, “Sanctuary” layers roleplay on top of reality to blur the actuality of power. The audience is constantly questioning who is really in...
- 6/2/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
The poster for Sanctuary features a blonde Margaret Qualley whispering to a mysterious Christopher Abbott. Its imagery — a seeming femme fatale, an unknowing male prey and all the imagined chaos in between — evokes the height of the cinematic erotic thriller era. But the strength, elegance and wit of Micah Bloomberg’s (TV series Homecoming) script and Zachary Wigon’s (The Heart Machine) direction is their interest in subverting your (and the characters’s) expectations at every step. In Sanctuary, Abbott plays Hal, a hotel mogul’s son and heir. He has ordered a fancy meal to a decadently opulent hotel suite where […]
The post “Music Will be a Prism That You Can See the Whole Movie Through”: Director Zachary Wigon on Story Beats, Miles Davis and His Bdsm-Themed Thriller Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Music Will be a Prism That You Can See the Whole Movie Through”: Director Zachary Wigon on Story Beats, Miles Davis and His Bdsm-Themed Thriller Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/31/2023
- by Meredith Alloway
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The poster for Sanctuary features a blonde Margaret Qualley whispering to a mysterious Christopher Abbott. Its imagery — a seeming femme fatale, an unknowing male prey and all the imagined chaos in between — evokes the height of the cinematic erotic thriller era. But the strength, elegance and wit of Micah Bloomberg’s (TV series Homecoming) script and Zachary Wigon’s (The Heart Machine) direction is their interest in subverting your (and the characters’s) expectations at every step. In Sanctuary, Abbott plays Hal, a hotel mogul’s son and heir. He has ordered a fancy meal to a decadently opulent hotel suite where […]
The post “Music Will be a Prism That You Can See the Whole Movie Through”: Director Zachary Wigon on Story Beats, Miles Davis and His Bdsm-Themed Thriller Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Music Will be a Prism That You Can See the Whole Movie Through”: Director Zachary Wigon on Story Beats, Miles Davis and His Bdsm-Themed Thriller Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/31/2023
- by Meredith Alloway
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Plot: A wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role-playing game for power and control.
Review: There’s an uncomfortability present in nearly every frame of Sanctuary. And I think that’s where so much of the appeal lies. There’s an inherit nastiness when it comes to many different power dynamics and that’s very much true here. But it’s within that nastiness where some true intrigue lies. Because, despite one of the characters paying the other an exorbitant amount of money to humiliate him, both are getting something out of this. And it’s that grey area where the film truly flourishes.
Sanctuary is about Hal ending his “relationship” with his dominatrix Rebecca. But Rebecca doesn’t take kindly to this and tries to turn Hal’s life upside down. Christopher Abbott...
Review: There’s an uncomfortability present in nearly every frame of Sanctuary. And I think that’s where so much of the appeal lies. There’s an inherit nastiness when it comes to many different power dynamics and that’s very much true here. But it’s within that nastiness where some true intrigue lies. Because, despite one of the characters paying the other an exorbitant amount of money to humiliate him, both are getting something out of this. And it’s that grey area where the film truly flourishes.
Sanctuary is about Hal ending his “relationship” with his dominatrix Rebecca. But Rebecca doesn’t take kindly to this and tries to turn Hal’s life upside down. Christopher Abbott...
- 5/24/2023
- by Tyler Nichols
- JoBlo.com
In Sanctuary, a dominatrix and her wealthy client find themselves caught up in an intriguing game. Directed by Zachary Wigon (The Heart Machine) from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg, co-creator of the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming, the film centers around only the two players. And thankfully, Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley are more than up to the task. Abbott, who is always impressive, is terrific here as a conflicted man. And then there is Ms. Qualley who commands your attention with her mesmerizing work. It’s a fascinating film with a sharp script and two terrific leads.
Recently, I sat down to chat with Christopher and Margaret to discuss their latest. I’ve always admired the career path that Mr. Abbott has taken, and I mentioned that during the talk. He opened up about this particular role, and working with Zachary. As for Margaret, she works especially well opposite Christopher.
Recently, I sat down to chat with Christopher and Margaret to discuss their latest. I’ve always admired the career path that Mr. Abbott has taken, and I mentioned that during the talk. He opened up about this particular role, and working with Zachary. As for Margaret, she works especially well opposite Christopher.
- 5/23/2023
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
Christopher Abbott has quietly become one of the more respected actors on the indie-film scene, and his latest film, Sanctuary, is yet another example why.
Written by Micah Bloomberg and directed by Zachary Wigon, Sanctuary certainly has the trappings of a contained psychological thriller, but it’s ultimately a twisted romcom about power dynamics, starring Abbott and Margaret Qualley. Abbott plays Hal Porterfield, a hotel heir who decides to end his relationship with Rebecca (Qualley), a Denver dominatrix, now that he’s taking the reins of his family’s company. However, Rebecca doesn’t react well to the news or the severance package being offered, given her role in Hal’s success.
Abbott’s characters are often put through the wringer, physically and psychologically, and the Connecticut native also isn’t afraid of humiliation on screen, something Sanctuary reaffirms when Hal is asked by Rebecca to scrub the bathroom floor in his underwear.
Written by Micah Bloomberg and directed by Zachary Wigon, Sanctuary certainly has the trappings of a contained psychological thriller, but it’s ultimately a twisted romcom about power dynamics, starring Abbott and Margaret Qualley. Abbott plays Hal Porterfield, a hotel heir who decides to end his relationship with Rebecca (Qualley), a Denver dominatrix, now that he’s taking the reins of his family’s company. However, Rebecca doesn’t react well to the news or the severance package being offered, given her role in Hal’s success.
Abbott’s characters are often put through the wringer, physically and psychologically, and the Connecticut native also isn’t afraid of humiliation on screen, something Sanctuary reaffirms when Hal is asked by Rebecca to scrub the bathroom floor in his underwear.
- 5/22/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Summer is motoring along, making for the perfect pun for this week’s widest release, Universal Pictures’ “Fast X,” the 10th installment of the street racing franchise starring Vin Diesel, now into its 22nd year. Read on for the weekend box office report.
After a bit of pre-production drama in which long-time director Justin Lin vacated that post, replaced by Louis Letterier (“Now You See Me”), Diesel and his “family” returned for “Fast X” with the additions of Jason Momoa and Brie Larson, and with the majority of characters from the last nine movies still appearing in some capacity or other. Reviews for the movie were mixed at best, with just 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, the worst rating for a chapter since Diesel returned for 2009’s “Fast & Furious.”
Universal released the movie into 4,046 theaters with previews on Thursday that amounted to $7.5 million and contributed to its $28 million opening Friday. Audiences...
After a bit of pre-production drama in which long-time director Justin Lin vacated that post, replaced by Louis Letterier (“Now You See Me”), Diesel and his “family” returned for “Fast X” with the additions of Jason Momoa and Brie Larson, and with the majority of characters from the last nine movies still appearing in some capacity or other. Reviews for the movie were mixed at best, with just 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, the worst rating for a chapter since Diesel returned for 2009’s “Fast & Furious.”
Universal released the movie into 4,046 theaters with previews on Thursday that amounted to $7.5 million and contributed to its $28 million opening Friday. Audiences...
- 5/21/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Matt Johnson’s film BlackBerry about the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone passed $1.7 million its second week out with an estimated three-day gross of $525k in 595 theaters.
The Canadian number — $250k from 200 theaters — was only a 13% drop from opening weekend. Stateside, the indie crossed $1 million with a estimated $257k at 375 locations and really popped on Saturday, outperforming the week earlier in a handful of theaters in top markets including New York, LA, and Boston.
It’s being handled by IFC Films in the U.S. and Elevation Pictures in Canada, where BlackBerry was launched and grew to near world dominance before being abruptly unseated by Apple and the touch screen. Starring Jay Baruchel as brainy Mike Lazaridus, who co-founded BlackBerry with his best friend Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who propelled...
The Canadian number — $250k from 200 theaters — was only a 13% drop from opening weekend. Stateside, the indie crossed $1 million with a estimated $257k at 375 locations and really popped on Saturday, outperforming the week earlier in a handful of theaters in top markets including New York, LA, and Boston.
It’s being handled by IFC Films in the U.S. and Elevation Pictures in Canada, where BlackBerry was launched and grew to near world dominance before being abruptly unseated by Apple and the touch screen. Starring Jay Baruchel as brainy Mike Lazaridus, who co-founded BlackBerry with his best friend Douglas Fregin, played by Johnson. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton is Jim Balsillie, the aggressive executive who propelled...
- 5/21/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
As Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon’s twisted tale of a dominatrix and her wealthy client, opens in NY and LA, David Lancaster of producer Rumble Films recalls a speedy 18-day shoot on a custom-made set in Brownsville, Brooklyn in late summer of 2021. It was Covid, so not the easiest time for indie financing.
It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.
He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...
It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.
He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...
- 5/19/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
“Dominatrix rom-com” doesn’t sound like the most obvious (or light!) sub-genre, but for “Sanctuary” stars Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, the critically acclaimed romance marks one of the most fun projects to date in their respective careers. Even better: Qualley, after stealing scenes in Oscar-winning “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and Abbott, whose breakout performance in “Girls” made him an immediate indie darling, have been trying to work together for years.
“I was so excited to work with Margaret, finally,” Abbott told IndieWire during a recent interview. “There were a few jobs we had almost done together, but I’m glad this is the one that we got to do, because we had so much to do together.”
“Sanctuary” stars Abbott as hotel heir Hal, who tries to end his psychosexual relationship with dominatrix Rebecca (Qualley) after inheriting his late father’s empire. However, Rebecca has other ideas...
“I was so excited to work with Margaret, finally,” Abbott told IndieWire during a recent interview. “There were a few jobs we had almost done together, but I’m glad this is the one that we got to do, because we had so much to do together.”
“Sanctuary” stars Abbott as hotel heir Hal, who tries to end his psychosexual relationship with dominatrix Rebecca (Qualley) after inheriting his late father’s empire. However, Rebecca has other ideas...
- 5/18/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
We’re three weeks into the summer movie season, and it’s looking much like previous months where only one or two movies are doing well, while all else flounders. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
This week’s high-profile release is “Fast X,” the 10th installment of the Universal franchise that began in 2001 with “The Fast and the Furious,” a surprise hit at the time, making stars of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Both of them returned in 2009 for the fourth movie “Fast & Furious,” directed by Justin Lin, who stuck around for three movies including 2021’s “F9.”
Lin left “Fast X” as director, to be replaced by Louis Letterier but Lin’s screenplay was used for what will be the first part of the finale for the entire franchise. Originally, it was meant to be a two-part finale, but Diesel recently stated it would actually be a three-parter,...
This week’s high-profile release is “Fast X,” the 10th installment of the Universal franchise that began in 2001 with “The Fast and the Furious,” a surprise hit at the time, making stars of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Both of them returned in 2009 for the fourth movie “Fast & Furious,” directed by Justin Lin, who stuck around for three movies including 2021’s “F9.”
Lin left “Fast X” as director, to be replaced by Louis Letterier but Lin’s screenplay was used for what will be the first part of the finale for the entire franchise. Originally, it was meant to be a two-part finale, but Diesel recently stated it would actually be a three-parter,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
We might as well foreground what looms large over this discussion with Sanctuary director Zachary Wigon. He has many bylines on this site. It’s easy to see the formalistic rigor of a former critic on display in his latest film, which he developed in close conjunction with screenwriter Micah Bloomberg. And yet, there’s also a distinct sense of a directorial sensibility in his vision that has evolved beyond intellectualizing cinema.
Wigon displays a keen understanding of genre in this single-location erotic thriller about the twisted relationship between a dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her hotel heir client, Hal (Christopher Abbott). As fantasy and reality begin to uneasily mingle between the two, Sanctuary pinpoints the blurred boundaries between the boardroom and the bedroom for these role players engaged in an intense bout of gamesmanship. Wigon’s direction is locked in a pas de deux with his two leads, matching...
Wigon displays a keen understanding of genre in this single-location erotic thriller about the twisted relationship between a dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her hotel heir client, Hal (Christopher Abbott). As fantasy and reality begin to uneasily mingle between the two, Sanctuary pinpoints the blurred boundaries between the boardroom and the bedroom for these role players engaged in an intense bout of gamesmanship. Wigon’s direction is locked in a pas de deux with his two leads, matching...
- 5/17/2023
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
Nine years after Zachary Wigon’s feature debut The Heart Machine, the writer-director returns with another lean thriller, again with elements of romance and comedy. Sanctuary, coming in at a speedy 96 minutes, only features two characters––a dominatrix named Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) and a hotel heir named Hal (Christopher Abbott)––and a single location: the heir’s hotel room. It’s taut, sexy, and explosive, even with its clear theatrical leanings.
Wigon’s film, penned by Micah Bloomberg, follows Hal as he tries to end his business relationship with Rebecca, cornering these two characters into this hotel room, along with the corresponding hallway and elevator. The discussions soon turn personal, giving Abbott and Qualley ample opportunities to flex their chops. They devour Bloomberg’s script, and Wigon seems happy to honor these monologues, consistently pushing his lens closer and closer to their faces. It’s a showcase for two of...
Wigon’s film, penned by Micah Bloomberg, follows Hal as he tries to end his business relationship with Rebecca, cornering these two characters into this hotel room, along with the corresponding hallway and elevator. The discussions soon turn personal, giving Abbott and Qualley ample opportunities to flex their chops. They devour Bloomberg’s script, and Wigon seems happy to honor these monologues, consistently pushing his lens closer and closer to their faces. It’s a showcase for two of...
- 5/17/2023
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
A man, a woman, and an enclosed space — as any stage director knows, these components can be transformed into anything within the capabilities of the human imagination, a malleability essential to Zachary Wigon’s devious chamber piece “Sanctuary.” DominatrixRebecca (Margaret Qualley) and her number-one client Hal (Christopher Abbott) bring that same spirit of invention to their sessions, such as a face-off between a playboy corporate heir and the no-nonsense lady lawyer who gets him scrubbing the bathroom floor in his underwear with just a handful of demeaning remarks.
Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Discuss Their Racy New Kink Film, Stunt Dildos & More [Interview] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Discuss Their Racy New Kink Film, Stunt Dildos & More [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 5/16/2023
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) is here for legal counsel. But her questions for Hal Porterfield (Christopher Abbott) are getting inappropriate, and fast. She wants to know about the frequency of his masturbation, how much he drinks, if he’s capable of taking on the herculean task of running his father’s massive hotel monopoly. And Hal is getting annoyed. After all, this isn’t the script that he had written for Rebecca to perform.
Rebecca isn’t a lawyer, nor an actress. Not really. She’s a hired dominatrix in a no-contact sexual relationship with Hal, who really is set to step in as CEO of his recently passed father’s company, and who really does write extensive scripts to support his unusual sexual proclivities.
Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary is a two-hander that sees a power play through the prism of performance, class, and sexual dynamics. As Hal prepares to be...
Rebecca isn’t a lawyer, nor an actress. Not really. She’s a hired dominatrix in a no-contact sexual relationship with Hal, who really is set to step in as CEO of his recently passed father’s company, and who really does write extensive scripts to support his unusual sexual proclivities.
Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary is a two-hander that sees a power play through the prism of performance, class, and sexual dynamics. As Hal prepares to be...
- 5/13/2023
- by Greg Nussen
- Slant Magazine
Exclusive: Isabelle Huppert (Elle) and Finn Wittrock (Luckiest Girl Alive) have closed deals to star in Free Radicals, an English-language home invasion thriller based on the same-name short story originally published in The New Yorker by Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro.
With psychological twists and a Hitchockian flair, Free Radicals revolves around the harrowing encounter between an ailing woman (Huppert) and a young killer on the run (Wittrock). Xia Magnus (Sanzaru) is set to direct from his script written with Alyssa Polk. Pic’s producers are Academy Award nominee Alexandra Milchan (Tár) and Theo Vieljeux (Monica).
Charades will handle international sales for the film, following its success with a number of other titles from emerging filmmakers, including Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ Swallow starring Haley Bennett; Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary with Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley, which Neon will release in the U.S on May 19; Charlotte Regan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize...
With psychological twists and a Hitchockian flair, Free Radicals revolves around the harrowing encounter between an ailing woman (Huppert) and a young killer on the run (Wittrock). Xia Magnus (Sanzaru) is set to direct from his script written with Alyssa Polk. Pic’s producers are Academy Award nominee Alexandra Milchan (Tár) and Theo Vieljeux (Monica).
Charades will handle international sales for the film, following its success with a number of other titles from emerging filmmakers, including Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ Swallow starring Haley Bennett; Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary with Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley, which Neon will release in the U.S on May 19; Charlotte Regan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize...
- 5/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – One of the best local film gatherings is back, as the 2023 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) opens on Friday, May 5th, with “BlackBerry” at the Music Box Theatre. The Fest runs through May 11th, click Ccff for opening night ticket info.
It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Matt Johnson will make an appearance and participate in a Q&a at the May 5th screening.
10th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
The 10th Chicago Critics...
It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Matt Johnson will make an appearance and participate in a Q&a at the May 5th screening.
10th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
The 10th Chicago Critics...
- 5/4/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Charades handles international sales.
Universal Pictures Content Group has snapped up most of the world from Charades to Zachary Wigon’s dark comedy Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
The company picked up the world excluding the US, Canada, Italy, Cis, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Australia and New Zealand.
Neon will distribute theatrically in the US on May 19 and struck a US deal after the world premiere at TIFF last year.
Sanctuary is a Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios and stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught...
Universal Pictures Content Group has snapped up most of the world from Charades to Zachary Wigon’s dark comedy Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
The company picked up the world excluding the US, Canada, Italy, Cis, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Australia and New Zealand.
Neon will distribute theatrically in the US on May 19 and struck a US deal after the world premiere at TIFF last year.
Sanctuary is a Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios and stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught...
- 5/3/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Focus Features and Working Title have settled on a release date for Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s Drive-Away Dolls, a comedy caper starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan. Coen directs from a script he co-wrote and produced with Tricia Cooke. Drive-Away Dolls will open in theaters on September 22, 2023.
Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls revolves around Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon join Qualley and Viswanathan for Coen and Cooke’s unique crime caper, with Focus handling domestic distribution. Meanwhile, Universal Pictures will bring the film overseas. Robert Graf,...
Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls revolves around Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon join Qualley and Viswanathan for Coen and Cooke’s unique crime caper, with Focus handling domestic distribution. Meanwhile, Universal Pictures will bring the film overseas. Robert Graf,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Neon will be giving the darkly comedic thriller Sanctuary a limited theatrical release on May 19th, with a wider expansion to follow on June 2nd. And since those dates aren’t very far away at this point, they have unveiled a trailer for the film, which you can check out in the embed above.
Directed by Zachary Wigon (The Heart Machine) from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg, co-creator of the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming, Sanctuary has the following synopsis: A wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca. A battle of wills ensues over the course of one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling...
Directed by Zachary Wigon (The Heart Machine) from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg, co-creator of the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming, Sanctuary has the following synopsis: A wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca. A battle of wills ensues over the course of one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling...
- 4/12/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The trailer arrives today for Sanctuary, which had its world premiere at TIFF in September and is now slated for theatrical release this spring. The film was directed by Zachary Wigon from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg. Wigon has written for Filmmaker in the past, and has additionally interviewed filmmakers like Claire Denis, Lars von Trier, Abbas Kiarostami and Steve McQueen for the site. Sanctuary‘s official synopsis reads: A wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the […]
The post Trailer Watch: Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/12/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The trailer arrives today for Sanctuary, which had its world premiere at TIFF in September and is now slated for theatrical release this spring. The film was directed by Zachary Wigon from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg. Wigon has written for Filmmaker in the past, and has additionally interviewed filmmakers like Claire Denis, Lars von Trier, Abbas Kiarostami and Steve McQueen for the site. Sanctuary‘s official synopsis reads: A wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the […]
The post Trailer Watch: Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/12/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
It’s his game but her rules in Neon’s upcoming thriller Sanctuary, and the official trailer today previews the twisted game being played by Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
The wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Emmy Award® nominee Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca.
A battle of wills ensues over the course of one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling to keep the upper hand as the power dynamics swing wildly back and forth.
Sanctuary opens in select theaters May 19. The wide release begins on June 2.
Zachary Wigon directs from a script written by Micah Bloomberg.
The post ‘Sanctuary’ Trailer – Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott Star in...
The wickedly dark comedy follows dominatrix, Rebecca (Emmy Award® nominee Margaret Qualley), and her wealthy client, Hal (Christopher Abbott), as they engage in a high stakes role playing game for power and control. In the wake of inheriting his father’s hotel chain, Hal attempts to end his long and secret relationship with Rebecca.
A battle of wills ensues over the course of one incredibly fraught night, with both Rebecca and Hal struggling to keep the upper hand as the power dynamics swing wildly back and forth.
Sanctuary opens in select theaters May 19. The wide release begins on June 2.
Zachary Wigon directs from a script written by Micah Bloomberg.
The post ‘Sanctuary’ Trailer – Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott Star in...
- 4/12/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
‘Sanctuary’ Trailer: Margaret Qualley Holds Christopher Abbott Hostage in Neon’s Dominatrix Thriller
Margaret Qualley sets out to spank, seduce, and scourge Christopher Abbott in the sexy blackmail drama “Sanctuary.”
Qualley stars as dominatrix Rebecca, whose elite client Hal (Abbott) wants to end their psychosexual relationship after inheriting his late father’s empire. However, Rebecca has other things in mind to punish him. The film takes place over one night in a hotel room.
“Sanctuary” is directed by Zachary Wigon (“The Heart Machine”) from a script by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg. The film debuted at 2022 TIFF and will be released by Neon this spring.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for being “such a salaciously enjoyable slice of snack-sized fun” with an unpredictable plot that toys with what it really means to roleplay.
“‘Sanctuary’ unfolds like a kinky cross between ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ and an off-Broadway play,” Ehrlich wrote. “[It’s] a story about identity and control, but it’s also a movie about the...
Qualley stars as dominatrix Rebecca, whose elite client Hal (Abbott) wants to end their psychosexual relationship after inheriting his late father’s empire. However, Rebecca has other things in mind to punish him. The film takes place over one night in a hotel room.
“Sanctuary” is directed by Zachary Wigon (“The Heart Machine”) from a script by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg. The film debuted at 2022 TIFF and will be released by Neon this spring.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich praised the film for being “such a salaciously enjoyable slice of snack-sized fun” with an unpredictable plot that toys with what it really means to roleplay.
“‘Sanctuary’ unfolds like a kinky cross between ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ and an off-Broadway play,” Ehrlich wrote. “[It’s] a story about identity and control, but it’s also a movie about the...
- 4/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The official trailer has been released for Zachary Wigon’s dark thriller “Sanctuary,” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. The film follows a dominatrix named Rebecca (Qualley) and her rich client Hal (Abbott) as disaster unfolds over the course of a single night in a hotel room.
The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022 and will open in theaters in the U.S. on May 25.
In “Sancutary,” Abbott plays the son of luxe hotel chain owner who is the successor of the hotel and the rest of his father’s billion-dollar enterprise. Rebecca sees the opportunity to cash in on Hal’s soon-to-be fortune.
As Amy Nicholson wrote in Variety‘s review of the film, “What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class.”
“But who is he under the bluster?” Nicholson continued. “The dweeb...
The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022 and will open in theaters in the U.S. on May 25.
In “Sancutary,” Abbott plays the son of luxe hotel chain owner who is the successor of the hotel and the rest of his father’s billion-dollar enterprise. Rebecca sees the opportunity to cash in on Hal’s soon-to-be fortune.
As Amy Nicholson wrote in Variety‘s review of the film, “What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class.”
“But who is he under the bluster?” Nicholson continued. “The dweeb...
- 4/12/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Margaret Qualley stars as a dominatrix that torments Christopher Abbot’s CEO in the first trailer to “Sanctuary” from Neon.
“This is not a good idea to keep doing this,” Abbot says in the trailer. “Your new job? You wouldn’t be able to do it without what I taught you,” Qualley’s dominatrix answers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaMahhnZMog
Also Read:
Neon Acquires Anne Hathaway Sundance Thriller ‘Eileen’
The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film festival and will open in select theaters on Friday, May 19, expanding wide on Friday, June 2.
Zachary Wigon directs from a script written by Micah Bloomberg.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth...
“This is not a good idea to keep doing this,” Abbot says in the trailer. “Your new job? You wouldn’t be able to do it without what I taught you,” Qualley’s dominatrix answers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaMahhnZMog
Also Read:
Neon Acquires Anne Hathaway Sundance Thriller ‘Eileen’
The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film festival and will open in select theaters on Friday, May 19, expanding wide on Friday, June 2.
Zachary Wigon directs from a script written by Micah Bloomberg.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth...
- 4/12/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
One of the highlights from last year’s TIFF is finally heading to theaters this May. Director Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary, scripted by Micah Bloomberg, pairs Margaret Qualley as a dominatrix with Christopher Abbott, playing her wealthy client who attempts ending their relationship (though she has other ideas). Neon will theatrically release the film on May 19, and ahead of that debut the first trailer has now arrived.
As Jared Mobarak said in his review, “How well do you know your regular sex worker? How well do they know you? What Hal (Christopher Abbott) and Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) share may have begun as a source of fun, but it’s obviously evolved into something much deeper. It’s now akin to therapy and they both know it to be true. The problem, however, lies in how they interpret what these sessions actually provide. Does Hal need Rebecca to come and validate...
As Jared Mobarak said in his review, “How well do you know your regular sex worker? How well do they know you? What Hal (Christopher Abbott) and Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) share may have begun as a source of fun, but it’s obviously evolved into something much deeper. It’s now akin to therapy and they both know it to be true. The problem, however, lies in how they interpret what these sessions actually provide. Does Hal need Rebecca to come and validate...
- 4/12/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
In cinema, 2022 will be remembered as the year of the donkey and perhaps power moves between the sexes in out of all places … elevators. After a savoury tight space exchange in Triangle of Sadness, it is a long-awaited sophomore film from Zachary Wigon (that played especially well to Toronto auds) that corners Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott in a boutique-like hotel plus elevator for good measure. Less than two weeks after its world premiere, the Neon folks are adding Sanctuary to their TIFF shopping bag which already includes Saint Omer and How to Blow Up a Pipeline.…...
- 9/26/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Charades handles international sales.
Neon’s boutique label Super has acquired US rights to Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. following the world premiere in TIFF.
The Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught up in a battle of wills with w wealthy client over the course of one night.
Rumble’s David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox produced with Ilya Stewart of Hype Studios and Pavel Burian of Mosaic Films. Sanctuary screenwriter Micah Bloomberg served as executive producer with Carole Baraton,...
Neon’s boutique label Super has acquired US rights to Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. following the world premiere in TIFF.
The Rumble Films production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios stars Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as a dominatrix caught up in a battle of wills with w wealthy client over the course of one night.
Rumble’s David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox produced with Ilya Stewart of Hype Studios and Pavel Burian of Mosaic Films. Sanctuary screenwriter Micah Bloomberg served as executive producer with Carole Baraton,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon is getting in bed with “Sanctuary.”
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has officially whipped up the distribution rights to dominatrix drama “Sanctuary” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
Penned by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and directed by SXSW “The Heart Machine” helmer Zachary Wigon, “Sanctuary” takes place over the course of one night in a hotel room where Rebecca (Qualley) seduces her elite client Hal (Abbott) to disastrous ends. Hal attempts to terminate his relationship with Rebecca, as he is poised to inherit his late father’s professional position and fortune, but Rebecca has other ideas in store for how to punish him for daring to cross her. What’s the safe word, again?
Super beat out three other distribution banners for “Sanctuary” after its critically acclaimed premiere at 2022 TIFF.
“Sanctuary” is a Rumble Films Production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios. The film...
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has officially whipped up the distribution rights to dominatrix drama “Sanctuary” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
Penned by “Homecoming” co-creator Micah Bloomberg and directed by SXSW “The Heart Machine” helmer Zachary Wigon, “Sanctuary” takes place over the course of one night in a hotel room where Rebecca (Qualley) seduces her elite client Hal (Abbott) to disastrous ends. Hal attempts to terminate his relationship with Rebecca, as he is poised to inherit his late father’s professional position and fortune, but Rebecca has other ideas in store for how to punish him for daring to cross her. What’s the safe word, again?
Super beat out three other distribution banners for “Sanctuary” after its critically acclaimed premiere at 2022 TIFF.
“Sanctuary” is a Rumble Films Production in association with Charades, Mosaic Films and Hype Studios. The film...
- 9/23/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has acquired the U.S. rights to “Sanctuary,” a thriller about a dominatrix starring Margaret Qualley that made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Zachary Wigon directs the film that also stars Christopher Abbott; it is Super’s second acquisition out of TIFF after it also picked up Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” which first premiered at Venice.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth as each seeks to gain the upper hand. Is he hopelessly overmatched? Or is her wildly unpredictable behavior all part of an elaborate game? Micah Bloomberg wrote the script.
Also Read:
Venice Prizewinner ‘Saint Omer’ Acquired...
Zachary Wigon directs the film that also stars Christopher Abbott; it is Super’s second acquisition out of TIFF after it also picked up Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” which first premiered at Venice.
In “Sanctuary,” a dominatrix (Qualley) and her wealthy client (Abbott) engage in a battle of wills inside a luxury hotel suite after he tries to end their relationship. Over the course of one emotionally fraught night, the balance of power swings back and forth as each seeks to gain the upper hand. Is he hopelessly overmatched? Or is her wildly unpredictable behavior all part of an elaborate game? Micah Bloomberg wrote the script.
Also Read:
Venice Prizewinner ‘Saint Omer’ Acquired...
- 9/23/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Super, the boutique distribution label from Neon, has bought U.S. rights to “Sanctuary,” Zachary Wigon’s much-buzzed-about thriller starring Margaret Qualley as a dominatrix who becomes entangled with a wealthy client, played by Christopher Abbott.
The movie world premiered at Toronto, where it earned strong reviews (it currently holds a 93 “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The acquisition of “Sanctuary” underscores Neon’s ambition to scale up its Super label with higher-profile titles. The company beat out three other distribution banners that bid for the movie, according to a source close to the production.
The film unfolds over the course of one night in a luxury hotel suite. “Sanctuary” tells the story of Rebecca and her client, Hal, who is about to inherit his late father’s position and fortune. When Hal’s attempt to cut ties backfires, the two find themselves in a struggle for control as each seeks to gain the upper hand.
The movie world premiered at Toronto, where it earned strong reviews (it currently holds a 93 “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The acquisition of “Sanctuary” underscores Neon’s ambition to scale up its Super label with higher-profile titles. The company beat out three other distribution banners that bid for the movie, according to a source close to the production.
The film unfolds over the course of one night in a luxury hotel suite. “Sanctuary” tells the story of Rebecca and her client, Hal, who is about to inherit his late father’s position and fortune. When Hal’s attempt to cut ties backfires, the two find themselves in a struggle for control as each seeks to gain the upper hand.
- 9/23/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Rome Film Festival has unveiled its first line-up under the new management team of former Rai executive Paola Malanga as artistic director and Cineteca di Bologna director Gian Luca Farinelli as president, who were both appointed to their roles last March.
“Putting together a festival in five months was a big challenge. If we succeeded it’s thanks to the extraordinary team and the institutions,” Farinelli said at a news conference in Rome on Thursday.
The festival’s 17th edition, October 13-23, will host 130 titles on 28 screens across the Italian capital.
Highlights include a career tribute for James Ivory and the launch of an international competition strand under the banner “Progressive Cinema – Visions Of Tomorrow’s World”, showcasing 16 new films.
“We tried to bring recognition to the festival on the international scene… guided by a simple polar star. The festival is not Cannes, Venice or Berlin. So what is it?...
“Putting together a festival in five months was a big challenge. If we succeeded it’s thanks to the extraordinary team and the institutions,” Farinelli said at a news conference in Rome on Thursday.
The festival’s 17th edition, October 13-23, will host 130 titles on 28 screens across the Italian capital.
Highlights include a career tribute for James Ivory and the launch of an international competition strand under the banner “Progressive Cinema – Visions Of Tomorrow’s World”, showcasing 16 new films.
“We tried to bring recognition to the festival on the international scene… guided by a simple polar star. The festival is not Cannes, Venice or Berlin. So what is it?...
- 9/22/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
It is the first edition under artistic director Paola Malanga.
Paola Malanga, the new artistic director of the Rome Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for the 2022 edition, taking place from October 13-23.
The international competition will showcase 16 titles including Lila Neugebauer’s Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Mounia Meddour’s Houria and Firam Khoury’s Alam and Wang Xiaoshuai’s The Hotel.
Francesca Archibugi’s The Hummingbird, starring Pierfrancesco Favino, Bérénice Bejo, Nanni Moretti and Laura Morante will open the festival out of competition, fresh from its world premiere at Toronto and just ahead of its Italian release on October...
Paola Malanga, the new artistic director of the Rome Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for the 2022 edition, taking place from October 13-23.
The international competition will showcase 16 titles including Lila Neugebauer’s Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Mounia Meddour’s Houria and Firam Khoury’s Alam and Wang Xiaoshuai’s The Hotel.
Francesca Archibugi’s The Hummingbird, starring Pierfrancesco Favino, Bérénice Bejo, Nanni Moretti and Laura Morante will open the festival out of competition, fresh from its world premiere at Toronto and just ahead of its Italian release on October...
- 9/22/2022
- by Alina Trabattoni
- ScreenDaily
While we’re in the middle of the fall festival season, with Telluride, Venice, and TIFF in the rearview, and NYFF, BFI London, and AFI Fest on the horizon, it’s time to round up some of our early favorites. We’ve polled our contributors from Venice and TIFF to share their top picks, which one can see below along with our ongoing coverage here.
David Katz (@davidfabiankatz)
1. Saint Omer (Alice Diop)
2. Trenque Lauquen (Laura Citarella)
3. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)
4. Master Gardener (Paul Schrader)
5. The Whale (Darren Aronofsky)
6. Love Life (Kôji Fukada)
7. Blonde (Andrew Dominik)
8. A Couple (Frederick Wiseman)
9. In Viaggio (Gianfranco Rosi)
10. The Eternal Daughter (Joanna Hogg)
Luke Hicks (@lou_kicks)
1. Bones and All (Luca Guadagnino)
2. Other People’s Children (Rebecca Zlotowski)
3. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)
4. The Eternal Daughter (Joanna Hogg)
5. Athena (Romain Gavras)
6. White Noise (Noah Baumbach)
7. The Banshees of Inisherin...
David Katz (@davidfabiankatz)
1. Saint Omer (Alice Diop)
2. Trenque Lauquen (Laura Citarella)
3. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)
4. Master Gardener (Paul Schrader)
5. The Whale (Darren Aronofsky)
6. Love Life (Kôji Fukada)
7. Blonde (Andrew Dominik)
8. A Couple (Frederick Wiseman)
9. In Viaggio (Gianfranco Rosi)
10. The Eternal Daughter (Joanna Hogg)
Luke Hicks (@lou_kicks)
1. Bones and All (Luca Guadagnino)
2. Other People’s Children (Rebecca Zlotowski)
3. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)
4. The Eternal Daughter (Joanna Hogg)
5. Athena (Romain Gavras)
6. White Noise (Noah Baumbach)
7. The Banshees of Inisherin...
- 9/21/2022
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
By Abe Friedtanzer
Two-handers aren’t easy to pull off. They require strong actors who understand how to play off each other well enough to keep things interesting for the duration of an entire film. Fortunately, Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary makes a great case for this format, showcasing excellent performances from its stars, Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. It's a 96-minute power struggle rollercoaster that never lets up…...
Two-handers aren’t easy to pull off. They require strong actors who understand how to play off each other well enough to keep things interesting for the duration of an entire film. Fortunately, Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary makes a great case for this format, showcasing excellent performances from its stars, Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. It's a 96-minute power struggle rollercoaster that never lets up…...
- 9/17/2022
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- FilmExperience
TIFF Review: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Play Emotional Games in Intense, Absurd Sanctuary
How well do you know your regular sex worker? How well do they know you? What Hal (Christopher Abbott) and Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) share may have begun as a source of fun, but it’s obviously evolved into something much deeper. It’s now akin to therapy and they both know it to be true. The problem, however, lies in how they interpret what these sessions actually provide. Does Hal need Rebecca to come and validate his fetishized insecurities so he can achieve orgasmic release? Or does she do it to empower him with the necessary confidence to lead a company that’s suddenly fallen to him upon the death of his domineering father? Can either of them really know for sure? Not with money involved. Honesty demands higher stakes.
That’s what screenwriter Micah Bloomberg and director Zachary Wigon supply these characters in Sanctuary. They’ve thrust them into...
That’s what screenwriter Micah Bloomberg and director Zachary Wigon supply these characters in Sanctuary. They’ve thrust them into...
- 9/14/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
The sex comedy is a dying art form. Whether that's because of shifting societal tastes or a lack of Hollywood interest, there haven't been much of them in recent years. You could arguably trace the decline of the sex comedy to the slowly-tightening sexual purity that has ravished Hollywood over the decade (remember the so-called groundbreaking "Eternals" sex scene?). If we're being honest, however, the quality of mainstream sex comedies also didn't do it any favors.
However, this subgenre could get a new lease on life thanks to Zachary Wigon's "Sanctuary," a dark comedy that premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival that uses the allusiveness of Bdsm to tell a grander story of relationship dynamics. The film's main and mostly sole characters, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) and Hal (Christopher Abbott), are in an unconventional relationship — Hal is a submissive and ultra-rich client of Rebecca, a dominatrix who...
However, this subgenre could get a new lease on life thanks to Zachary Wigon's "Sanctuary," a dark comedy that premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival that uses the allusiveness of Bdsm to tell a grander story of relationship dynamics. The film's main and mostly sole characters, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) and Hal (Christopher Abbott), are in an unconventional relationship — Hal is a submissive and ultra-rich client of Rebecca, a dominatrix who...
- 9/14/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Toronto Intertnational Film Festival. Neon releases the film in theaters on Friday, May 19.
A sharp and silly and deliriously romantic single-location saga about a hotel chain heir (Christopher Abbott) who’s blackmailed by his long-time dominatrix (Margaret Qualley), Zachary Wigon’s “Sanctuary” unfolds like a kinky cross between “Punch-Drunk Love” and an off-Broadway play. The results are delightful and exasperating in almost perfectly equal measure until a last-minute hail Mary ends the movie on such a high that even its hoarier stretches seem like they were worth the walk in hindsight.
It starts with color swirls and a heart-stirring Ariel Marx score that sounds like it could be the overture of a musical; it ends with a rush of blood to the head. In between, it’s sustained by its performances. Not just the go-for-broke performances from two of the...
A sharp and silly and deliriously romantic single-location saga about a hotel chain heir (Christopher Abbott) who’s blackmailed by his long-time dominatrix (Margaret Qualley), Zachary Wigon’s “Sanctuary” unfolds like a kinky cross between “Punch-Drunk Love” and an off-Broadway play. The results are delightful and exasperating in almost perfectly equal measure until a last-minute hail Mary ends the movie on such a high that even its hoarier stretches seem like they were worth the walk in hindsight.
It starts with color swirls and a heart-stirring Ariel Marx score that sounds like it could be the overture of a musical; it ends with a rush of blood to the head. In between, it’s sustained by its performances. Not just the go-for-broke performances from two of the...
- 9/14/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
A person hires a dominatrix for the same reason they subscribe to organized religion: to give themselves over to a higher power. In Zachary Wigon’s terrific two-hander “Sanctuary,” he invests the dynamic between a roleplaying sex worker and her longest-term client with all the devotional, frustrated intensity of an implacable deity and the quavering mortal who labors to appease her. (It’s no coincidence that guys like this are always calling their dommes “goddesses.”) She gets money and perhaps some personal fulfillment from her work; he gets purpose and certainty, the messiness of life reorganized into a clear-cut program of tasks to be carried out and approvals to be earned.
Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’ Review: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Roleplay With Sex & Bdsm Kink In A Terrific Two-Hander [TIFF] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Sanctuary’ Review: Margaret Qualley & Christopher Abbott Roleplay With Sex & Bdsm Kink In A Terrific Two-Hander [TIFF] at The Playlist.
- 9/12/2022
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Playlist
‘The Blackening’, ’Sisu’, ’How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ all in play.
After a traditionally quiet start over the first weekend, market activity is heating up with a Focus Features worldwide buy on Alexander Payne’s off-festival title The Holdovers as interest builds on a number of films in selection.
The Holdovers deal is understood to have closed in the 30m region and excludes Middle East. The 1970-set project reunites Payne with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti and follows an unpopular New England prep schoolteacher forced to spend Christmas holidays with a stranded, unruly student and a Black head cook...
After a traditionally quiet start over the first weekend, market activity is heating up with a Focus Features worldwide buy on Alexander Payne’s off-festival title The Holdovers as interest builds on a number of films in selection.
The Holdovers deal is understood to have closed in the 30m region and excludes Middle East. The 1970-set project reunites Payne with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti and follows an unpopular New England prep schoolteacher forced to spend Christmas holidays with a stranded, unruly student and a Black head cook...
- 9/12/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
‘The Blackening’, ’Sisu’, ’How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ all in play.
After a traditionally quiet start over the first weekend, market activity is heating up with a Focus Features worldwide buy on Alexander Payne’s off-festival title The Holdovers as interest builds on a number of films in selection.
The Holdovers deal is understood to have closed in the 30m region and excludes Middle East. The 1970-set project reunites Payne with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti and follows an unpopular New England prep schoolteacher forced to spend Christmas holidays with a stranded, unruly student and a Black head cook...
After a traditionally quiet start over the first weekend, market activity is heating up with a Focus Features worldwide buy on Alexander Payne’s off-festival title The Holdovers as interest builds on a number of films in selection.
The Holdovers deal is understood to have closed in the 30m region and excludes Middle East. The 1970-set project reunites Payne with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti and follows an unpopular New England prep schoolteacher forced to spend Christmas holidays with a stranded, unruly student and a Black head cook...
- 9/12/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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