A History of Violence, the highly anticipated new thriller from acclaimed filmmaker David Cronenberg, will make its world premiere in competition on Monday, May 16th at 10:30 pm as part of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, it was announced today by Rolf Mittweg, President and COO of New Line’s Worldwide Distribution & Marketing.
“It is pure cinema ecstasy for me to be in competition at Cannes for the third time,” says Cronenberg. “I can’t think of a better way to introduce my new film to the world.”
Based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, A History of Violence stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, a pillar of a small town community who runs a diner and lives a happy and quiet life with his wife (Maria Bello) and two children. But their lives are forever changed when Stall thwarts an attempted robbery and is lauded as a hero by the media, attracting the attention of some mobsters (William Hurt and Ed Harris) who believe he is someone else. The film co-stars Ashton Holmes, Heidi Hayes, Stephen McHattie, Greg Byrk and Peter MacNeill.
Directed by David Cronenberg, the screenplay is written by Josh Olson. The producers are Chris Bender and JC Spink of BenderSpink.
Cronenberg, whose 30-year directorial career includes such films as “Dead Ringers,” “The Fly,” “Naked Lunch,” “The Dead Zone” and “M. Butterfly,” served as jury president for the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. His film “Spider” screened in competition at the 2002 Festival. In 1996, his film “Crash” was awarded a Special Jury Prize from the Festival for its “audacity and innovation.”
He has been an Officer in France’s prestigious “Order of Arts and Letters” since 1997.
New Line Cinema will release A History of Violence in the United States on September 30th.
Source: New Line Cinema
