Keanu-Kirsten's 'The Entertainment System Is Down': A24 acquires US rights
In a significant eight-figure deal, leading Hollywood production-distribution company A24 has secured the US distribution rights for Ruben Östlund's forthcoming film, The Entertainment System Is Down. This marks the second English-language movie by the Swedish director that A24 will distribute, following his acclaimed 2022 film Triangle of Sadness. The latter won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, making it Östlund's second time receiving this esteemed award. His first Palme d'Or was for The Square.
Plot and production details of 'The Entertainment System is Down'
The Entertainment System Is Down is a social satire set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails, forcing passengers to find alternative ways to pass their time. For the production of this film, Östlund and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased an actual Boeing 747! The film is scheduled to premiere at Cannes in 2026 and will be Östlund's seventh feature film.
Star-studded cast and intriguing plot twist revealed
The cast of The Entertainment System Is Down includes renowned actors such as Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun, and Samantha Morton. Dunst and Brühl are set to portray a married couple in the film. During a press event at Cannes, Östlund revealed an intriguing plot detail: the story begins when a man falls asleep and his wife, out of boredom, unlocks his phone using face ID to discover he has had multiple affairs.
Östlund on the challenges of making an airplane movie
Östlund earlier shared insights about the difficulties of making an airplane movie at a Cannes press event. He stated, "It's f-ing hard to make a good airplane movie," and added that the production will be mounted over 70days on a studio lot. The film is a Swedish-German-French co-production and reunites Östlund with his longtime colleagues, producer Hemmendorff and producer Philippe Bober from Paris-based Coproduction Office.
