Warner Bros.' new specialty label Clockwork is in exclusive negotiations to acquire North American distribution rights to The Brigands of Rattlecreek, a Western directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Matthew McConaughey, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal and Tang Wei.
According to Variety, the deal is still being finalized, but Clockwork is closing in on the project, which was described as one of the most talked-about packages at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Park, who is serving as jury president at Cannes this year, will also produce the film through his company Moho Film, alongside producer Bradley Fischer, known for Zodiac.
The film is described as an iconic tale of vengeance and retribution set in the American West. A synopsis of the project states that it is a capstone of the themes Park Chan-wook has explored across his entire body of work, calling it an emotionally explosive and visually stunning meditation on the consequences of violence, the value of family, the power of memory, and the true cost of life.
The project has had a long path to production. The script was selected for the Black List in 2006, and Amazon acquired rights to the material in 2019 with McConaughey already being eyed for a starring role. The fact that McConaughey is still attached years later reflects the durability of the project's appeal.
Clockwork is a new label but has already been making moves. The division, led by former Neon executive Christian Parkes, announced at CinemaCon in April that it had acquired Sean Baker's follow-up to Anora, titled Ti Amo. Clockwork will also release Ken Russell's The Devils in October following a Cannes premiere of the restored version of that film.
Executive producers on The Brigands of Rattlecreek include Back Jisun for Moho Film, Mike Medavoy and Georgia Kacandes. WME and CAA represent the project, while Patrick Wachsberger's 193, a Legendary company, is handling international sales.
