Drafthouse Films Acquires WRONG Rights

James Marsh, Editor, Asia; Hong Kong, China (@Marshy00)

August 7 2012, 3:16 PM

More proof that those fine folks at Drafthouse Films have exceptional taste comes in the form of this morning's announcement that they have acquired North American distribution rights for Wrong, the hilariously surreal new film from Quentin Dupieux, the insane talent behind 2010's international hit, Rubber. The film follows the misadventures of a hapless office worker named Dolph (Jack Plotnick) as he scours suburbia for Paul, his missing dog, and encounters a series of increasingly bizarre people and scenarios along the way.

It could be claimed that Dupieux - who writes, directs, edits and shoots his movies when not composing under the moniker Mr. Oizo (remember Flat Eric?) - delivers a more conventional narrative this time, but only when compared to his debut, in which a murderous sentient tyre maraudes around the desert exploding animals. Wrong is every bit as weird and wonderful as its predecessor, boasting perhaps the most outlandish performance of William Fichtner's career as the mysterious and oddly accented Master Chang.

Drafthouse Films, the distribution off-shoot of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, announced that the film will receive a limited theatrical and Video On Demand release in 2013, no doubt with a glorious Bluray/DVD pressing to match their previous titles to follow soon after that. In addition, and as a sign of their eternal love for you - the supporter, the viewer, the collector - two tracks from the film's soundtrack, co-composed by Mr. Oizo and Tahiti Boy, are available to download for free right here, simply by clicking the button below!

From the press release:

AUSTIN, TX - Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 - Drafthouse Films, the film distribution arm of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, announced their acquisition of North American rights to Wrong, the new feature film from electronic musician-turned-director/writer/editor/cinematographer/composer Quentin Dupieux. Wrong is a willfully surreal comedy, which made its world premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, about a man's frantic search for his kidnapped dog and the strange characters he encounters along the way. A limited theatrical and VOD release is planned for 2013.

Dupieux's acclaimed 2010 Cannes Film Festival hit Rubber earned international media attention for its bold premise about a homicidal tire with head-exploding telekinetic abilities. Wrong takes place in an equally entrancing and hilariously hallucinatory universe all its own. Dolph Springer (Jack Plotnick of Reno 911) wakes up one morning to find that his beloved dog Paul has vanished. In a desperate attempt to get Paul (and his life) back, Dolph must embark on a spiritual journey guided by enigmatic pony-tailed guru Master Chang (William Fichtner) to metaphysically reconnect with his pet. On his quest, Dolph encounters a series of characters whose lives he drastically alters including a promiscuous pizza delivery girl, a jogging-addicted neighbor, an opportunistic French-Mexican gardener, and an eccentric pet detective (Steve Little, Eastbound And Down).

Dupieux's absurdly comic world is uncompromisingly unusual, breaking almost every known narrative cinematic convention and culminating in what critics champion as "textbook surrealism...definitely worth your attention," (io9.com). It's "Groundhogs Day remade by Luis Buñuel," (Indiewire). More candidly, "Wrong will melt your f###ing brain into ice cream," (JoBlo).

"I love dogs and I am fascinated by the relationship between people and dogs," says Dupieux. "I get along with dogs better than I do with people! Wrong is an homage to this special love between people and dogs."

"Wrong's demented universe is a perfect fit for our brand of artfully unusual films," says Drafthouse Films founder/CEO Tim League, "and Quentin proves once again that he is one of contemporary cinema's true fearless visionaries who refuses to play by the rules."