Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut, Don Jon’s Addiction, premiered over the weekend at Sundance to mostly positive reviews. Multiple studios had expressed interest in the film including CBS Films, Lionsgate/Roadside and The Weinstein Company, but eventually Relativity Media offered an outstanding figure that the other studios weren’t willing to match.
Relativity is paying $4 million for the rights to the film and a whopping $25 million in publicity and advertising for a 2000 screen summer release. That sum sets a new Sundance record and the record for the biggest domestic deal, ever.
I had high hopes for this film considering Gordon-Levitt has grown greatly as an actor in the last few years, but I had no idea that it would be this sought after. I can’t wait to see how it does in its wide release this summer and you can bet that I’ll be first in line to see it.
In the film, Gordon-Levitt stars as Don Jon, a man who’s unable to form real relationships with women due to his porn addiction, but that begins to change when he meets a younger woman (Scarlett Johansson) and an older classmate (Julianne Moore).
Part of my surprise at the sum this film received is due to the content and how much it may have to be cleaned up to work in a wide-release. Word is that the current cut of the film is full of graphic nudity, sex scenes, and raunchy jokes and would likely garner a NC-17 rating, which isn’t usually a recipe for great box-office success. However, Relativity is obviously confident that this can find a wide-audience.
The studio’s lineup for 2013 already includes Movie 43, Safe Haven, 21 And Over, Paranoia, Malavita, and Out Of The Furnace. That’s a very diverse slate of films that has the potential to do quite well.
What do you think of this sum for Don Jon’s Addiction? Is the film worth the money or is Relativity making a big mistake? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
