Tom Ford’s sophomore feature directorial Nocturnal Animals will be released by Focus Features in an exclusive engagement on Nov. 18. The film which is based on Austin Wright’s novel Tony and Susan focuses on an art gallery owner who is haunted by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale. Nocturnal Animals will widen on the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, before going wide on Dec. 9.
The pic stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Ellie Bamber and Laura Linney. Ford adapted the book to screen. During the Cannes Film Festival last year, Mike Fleming broke the news that Focus Features won the worldwide rights for Nocturnal Animals in a $20M deal, the largest of the fest. Focus would take domestic rights while Universal handled overseas. The deal calls for an eight figure P&A commitment.
Fashion designer Ford made his feature directorial debut with 2009’s A Single Man, which won the AFI award for movie of the year and the Queer Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
On Nov. 4, Focus has Jeff Nichols’ Loving about Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, who were sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for getting married. The pic premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to a seven minute standing ovation, with Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga winning high praise for their performances. Loving came away from Cannes as a shoo-in contender for the upcoming awards season.
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