Magnet nabs rights to award-winning crime thriller Down Terrace

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that it has nabbed distribution rights to Down Terrace, a genre bending portrait of a crime family slotted to play in Slamdance this month after being warmly received at Raindance, where it won the award for Best UK Feature, and Austin’s Fantastic Fest, where it won Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The feature film debut of director Ben Wheatley, Down Terrace was produced by Andrew Starke of Boum Productions, and executive produced by Baby Cow Films, Steve Coogan and Henry Normal’s production company, which was responsible for 24 Hour Party People and The Mighty Boosh. Magnolia International will be representing the film internationally at the upcoming Slamdance, Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals.

Described as The Sopranos if imagined by Mike Leigh or Ken Loach, Down Terrace stars real life father and son Bob and Robin Hill as Bill and Karl, the heads of a crime family struggling to keep their business together as infighting and a police informant in their midst threaten to unravel it completely. Featuring stars of such beloved British TV shows as Spaced, The Office and Extras, the film is a pitch black comedy that alternates unexpectedly between shocking violence and realistic, even moving family drama.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film as smart, clever and totally original as Down Terrace,” said Magnolia’s Tom Quinn. “It’s The Sopranos meets Once – there’s really nothing else like it.”

“I’m very excited about working with Magnolia. I feel a bit spoiled really,” said director Wheatley. “Having your first film picked up by a company that has so many great films on its roster is very flattering.”

The film will play the festival circuit this spring, with an anticipated theatrical release this summer.

You can watch the Fantastic Fest trailer for Down Terrace RIGHT HERE.