The ‘Colossal’ Buyer is No Longer Mysterious: Why Tom Quinn and Tim League’s Acquisition Makes Perfect Sense
Yesterday, the North American buyer of Toronto International Film Festival premiere “Colossal” seemed to be cloaked in mystery. Today, the truth turns out to be as cozy as a basket of poutine.
Tom Quinn and Tim League’s as-yet-unnamed company is the buyer, and while there’s still plenty to be learned — it’s backed by an unspecified Chinese-based media company — League and Quinn’s ties to the filmmaker extend nearly a decade.
As a Magnolia Pictures executive, Quinn released Vigalondo’s first film, “Timecrimes,” in 2008. That film also played Tim League’s Fantastic Fest, in 2007. Quinn and League, who are longtime friends, also became tight with Vigalondo, whose subsequent titles “Extraterrestrial” and “Open Windows” also played Fantastic Fest. “Open Windows” was even shot at League’s Alamo Drafthouse. (“Colossal” has already been announced as the Fantastic Fest closing-night film for later this month.)
READ MORE: Tom Quinn and Jason Janego Are Leaving Radius-TWC
League and Quinn have long been rumored to be assembling a distribution partnership, one that first surfaced shortly after Quinn and partner Jason Janego left The Weinstein Company, where they ran the now dormant RADiUS division. They released Michael Moore’s “Where To Invade Next” earlier this year, to indifferent box office results. (Janego is no longer part of the new company.)
“Colossal” stars Anne Hathaway as an alcoholic named Gloria who discovers her movements in a playground control a giant monster terrorizing South Korea. In an IndieWire interview Saturday, Hathaway called the movie a “sci-fi companion” to “Rachel Getting Married.” CAA and Voltage handle sales for the movie, which co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Dan Stevens.
READ MORE: TIFF 2016: Anne Hathaway Made Monster Movie ‘Colossal’ For Her 16-Year-Old Self
As a Magnolia Pictures executive, Quinn released Vigalondo’s first film, “Timecrimes,” in 2008. That film also played Fantastic Fest, in 2007.
“Colossal,” which premiered at TIFF September 9, will be released theatrically in 2017.
