Overview
- Magnolia finalized the U.S. deal with SVP of acquisitions John Von Thaden negotiating, while CAA Media Finance represented the filmmakers.
- The absurdist buddy comedy was co-written by and stars Armen Weitzman and Nick Corirossi, with Corirossi directing and Weitzman producing alongside Mike Rosenstein and Erin Owens for Sunset Rose Pictures.
- The film premiered in September in TIFF’s Midnight Madness program, with an IMAX-formatted sequence shown at a press and industry screening.
- The story follows a mysterious figure called the Sommelier guiding friends through Napa wine country as the film satirizes local tasting-room culture.
- Reports from festival screenings noted walkouts during a controversial barrel scene, and Magnolia’s co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley issued an enthusiastic statement announcing the pickup, with Jerrod Carmichael credited as executive producer and an ensemble cast including Sarah Ramos, Mike Mitchell, Chloe Cherry, David Wain and others.