Lars Von Trier ‘House That Jack Built’ Snapped Up By IFC Films: Cannes

IFC Films is taking U.S. rights to Lars Von Trier’s next movie, The House That Jack Built, which will star Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough and Siobhan Fallon Hogan. IFC also distributed the director’s 2009 film Antichrist.

The project, which follows a serial killer, was originally a TV series before Von Trier decided to turn it back into a feature, which he will shoot for under 9 million Euros. Washington, 1970s, we follow the highly intelligent Jack through 5 incidents and are introduced to the murders that define his development as a serial killer. Jack views each murder as an artwork in itself, even though his dysfunction gives him problems in the outside world. Even though the cops are drawing near, all logic for Jack goes out the window, as he takes on greater chances. Dillon will play Jack, while Ganz will portray a mysterious figure named Verge, who engages the serial killer in a recurring conversation about his actions and thoughts. Deadline broke the news exclusively about their attachment back in November. The House that Jack Built will go before the cameras in August in Trollhättan/Vänersborg and Copenhagen eyeing a 2018 premiere.

Reportedly, Von Trier did not attend this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The last time he was on the Croisette with his 2011 Kirsten Dunst movie Melancholia he left quite a sting with many attendees, as he publicly expressed sympathy for Adolf Hitler at the film’s press conference. Von Trier was promptly banned by Cannes, but since then artistic director Thierry Fremaux has said that he would have the Danish director back for a future movie.

Arianna Bocco from Sundance Selects/IFC Films negotiated the deal with TrustNordisk on behalf of the filmmakers. TrustNordisk is handling foreign sales.

Pic is produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Group in co-production with Film i Väst, Copenhagen Film Fund, Slot Machine, with support from Danish Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, CNC, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Eurimages, The Media Programme of the European Union, and in cooperation with DR, Nordisk Film Distribution, Concorde Filmverleih, Potemkine, Les Films du Losange, SVT.