IFC Picks Up ‘Che’

‘Che’, Steven Soderbergh’s four-hour epic about the revolutionary, was picked up by IFC today.   Wild Bunch, the production company behind the film, had been in talks with Magnolia Pictures, but the company ultimately decided on IFC for the film’s North American rights.

“”It made more sense to go with IFC,” said one source close to the negotiations. “They were more enthusiastic about the movie.

Apparently, what broke up negotiations with Magnolia was how the release of the film and the inevitable Oscar campaign was to be handled.   How IFC plans to release the film is to show the full, four-hour film in New York and LA (intermission included) for a week-long Oscar run.   They will then release the first part, ‘The Argentine’, in 15 to 25 markets in January.   The second half, ‘The Guerilla’, will then be released following the Oscar nomination announcements in February.

Benicio Del Toro won Best Actor for ‘Che’ at the Cannes Film Festival this year.   The film was nominated for the Palm D’or but did not win.