Apple and Netflix reportedly also threw their hats in the ring, but it was Mubi’s plan to give the film a full theatrical release that won out in the end. Seemingly looking to capitalize on the success of previous Cannes acquisition The Substance, the indie distributor is planning to release Die, My Love on approximately 1,500 screens for 45 days. It’s Mubi’s most expensive deal to date; rights to The Substance went for $12.5 million, and the film went on to earn $77 million worldwide.
Adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel of the same name, Die, My Love “is set in rural America and revolves around Lawrence’s character, a woman who has just had a baby and is engulfed by love and madness, to which her husband (Pattinson) appears oblivious,” per a Variety summary. LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte also star.
If this big swing doesn’t work out, Mubi is hedging its bets with four other films set to premiere at the festival: Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (Competition), Akinola Davies’ My Father’s Shadow (Un Certain Regard), Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound (Competition), and Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind (Competition), the first production the distributor has both developed and fully financed.
This marks a major acceleration for the once niche company, one which, while exciting, may also trigger some slight concern. “We understand the economics of specialty film intimately and have built our business model to sustainably support ambitious projects,” founder Efe Cakarel said in a recent Deadline feature. “Our biggest challenge, and simultaneously our greatest opportunity, is scaling sustainably without compromising our distinct identity.” We’ll see how sustainable this particular deal was whenever Die, My Love hits theaters.
