Magnet
has acquired the right of distribution for Ruairi Robinson’s debut feature
film, Last Days on Mars, starring Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Olivia Williams,
Romola Garai and Tom Cullen. Last
Days on Mars is a sci-fi thriller, about a crew stationed on a Mars base that
discovers fossilized bacterial life, but after one of the crew members falls
into a sinkhole that life form might still be alive.
The
film is based on a previous short by Robinson, called BlinkTM.
BlinkTM
The
Ruairi Robinson Directed film Debuted in Director’s Fortnight
at the 2013 Cannes
International Film Festival
New
York (July 9, 2013) – The
Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures,
announced today that they have acquired US rights to THE LAST DAYS ON MARS, a
sci-fi thriller starring Liev Schreiber (Salt, X-Men Origins: Wolverine),
Elias Koteas (Shutter Island, Crash),
Romola Garai (One Day,Atonement), Olivia Williams (An
Education, The Sixth Sense),
and Tom Cullen (Downtown Abbey) from Focus Features International.
Produced by Michael Kuhn and Andrea Cornwell, THE LAST DAYS ON MARS is the
feature film debut of Ruairi Robinson, an Academy Award-nominated director of
several celebrated sci-fi short films and animations. Focus Features
International handled worldwide sales on the film, which bowed in this year’s
Director’s Fortnight selection at the Cannes International Film Festival, where
Kenneth Turan of The Los
Angeles Times called it
“undeniably gripping.”
On
the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member of Tantalus
Base believes he has made an astounding discovery – fossilized evidence of
bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he
disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to
collect further samples. But a routine excavation turns to disaster when the
porous ground collapses, and he falls into a deep crevice and near certain
death. His devastated colleagues attempt to recover his body. However, when
another vanishes they start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered
is not yet dead. As the group begins to fall apart it seems their only hope is
the imminent arrival of the relief ship Aurora.
“With
a terrific ensemble cast and top-notch production values, THE LAST DAYS ON MARS
is an exceedingly well-made and frightening science fiction film that will be a
real pleasure for fans of the genre,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles.
“Ruairi Robinson is a talented director to watch—we’re very excited to be
working with him on this film.”
Alison
Thompson, Co-President of Focus Features International said: “After a
successful Cannes premiere, we’re delighted to have Magnet on board. They
are a perfect fit for the film and we have no doubt they will do an excellent
job of ensuring that US audiences embrace this exciting new filmmaker.”
Magnet
is eyeing a release through its Ultra VOD program later this year. The film was
negotiated by Magnolia/Magnet SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley and Director of
Acquisitions Peter Van Steemburg with Focus Features International.
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