EXCLUSIVE: Shout! Studios has acquired North American rights to the sci-fi dramedy Linoleum from Sub_Sequential Pictures, following a competitive bidding situation. The multi-platform entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory is planning a strategic launch of the movie across all major entertainment platforms, beginning with a theatrical launch later this year. Pic will be presented at the Cannes Film Market by Blue Fox Entertainment.
The film from writer-director Colin West (Double Walker) follows Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan), the host of a failing children’s science TV show called Above & Beyond, who has always had aspirations of being an astronaut. After a mysterious space-race era satellite coincidentally falls from space and lands in his backyard, his midlife crisis manifests in a plan to rebuild the machine into his dream rocket. As his relationship with his wife (Rhea Seehorn) and daughter (Katelyn Nacon) start to strain, surreal events begin unfolding around him—a doppelgänger moving into the house next door, a car falling from the sky, and an unusual teenage boy forging a friendship with him. He slowly starts to piece these events together to ultimately reveal that there’s more to his life story than he once thought.
Linoleum made its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, subsequently going on to claim the San Francisco Film Festival’s Sloan Science on Screen Award. The film referred to by Deadline’s own Pete Hammond as “an emotional adventure of the mind” also stars Gabriel Rush (Moonrise Kingdom), Amy Hargreaves (Homeland), Roger Hendricks Simon (Love in Kilnerry), Elizabeth Henry (The Sisterhood of Night), West Duchovny (A Mouthful of Air), Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer) and Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Dennis Masel produced for Storm City Film, alongside Chad Simpson of Brain Scratch Productions and Chadd Harbold, with Storm City’s Gabrielle Nadig serving as executive producer.
“Linoleum, while on the outside looking like a sci-fi sprinkled suburban drama, is at its core a love story – and Shout was able to see our vision in that,” West told Deadline. “The whole team, who worked so hard to make this film come to life, is thrilled to be working with them to get our film out to as many eyeballs as possible.”
“Jim Gaffigan delivers a sensational, versatile performance in Colin’s wonderfully offbeat story about dreams, connection and alternate realities,” added Shout’s Vice President of Acquisitions, Jordan Fields. “Linoleum is one of those singular gems that gets fervently recommended to friends and family for years and years, and we’re eager to do everything we can to help make that happen.”
Other upcoming releases from Shout Studios! include the topical drama On Sacred Ground, starring William Mapother and David Arquette; the drama I’m Charlie Walker, starring Mike Colter and Dylan Baker; the medieval action-adventure pic Kingslayer, starring Ryan Gage, David Hayman and John Rhys-Davies; and the animated features Gulliver Returns and Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon. Fields and VP of Business Affairs Steven Katz negotiated the deal for Linoleum on behalf of Shout! Studios, with UTA’s Billy Offer and Mikey Schwartz-Wright on behalf of Storm City Films and the filmmakers.
