Last year’s Venice Film Festival was one of its most controversial editions, what with Roman Polanski bringing his brilliant “J’accuse” and a, supposedly, “canceled” Johnny Deep walking down the red carpet for Ciro Guerra’s much-anticipated “Waiting for the Barbarians.” Regardless, with “cancel culture” starting to get some much-needed major pushback and the allegations against Depp starting to crumble into blatantly constructed lies, Guerra’s movie is now ready to be seen and accepted by Americans.
According to Deadline, Samuel Goldwyn Films has purchased the North American distribution rights for “Waiting for the Barbarians.” The film. which stars Depp, Mark Rylance, and Robert Pattinson, is now set for a VOD launch in August.
Based on the similarly-titled novel by author J.M. Coetzee, who also adapted the book for the film, ‘Barbarians’ tells the story of a Magistrate working in a distant outpost, and on the brink of retirement, who begins to question his loyalty to the empire. Don’t, just yet, pay too close attention to its 55 score on Metacritic or its 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics were out for blood when the film screened last September at Venice, much like they were for the excellent Polanski movie.
Due, no doubt, to the allegations swirling around Depp at the time, the film got mixed reviews at Venice and wasn’t even chosen for the ensuing fall festival, which includes Toronto, New York, and London. Gee, I wonder why. Especially since Guerra was coming off directing two consecutive, critically-acclaimed films: “Embrace of the Serpent” and “Birds of Passage.” There was absolutely no reason for film festivals to pass on this film, but they did, scared shitless about the consequences of having a then-toxic Depp show up.
“Waiting for the Barbarians” comes out on VOD August 7, 2020 via Samuel Goldwyn Films.
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