Prior to its screening at the 37th Telluride Film Festival, Newmarket announced that it would distribute director Peter Weir’s “The Way Back,” about a group of prisoners from a Siberian gulag who escape and walk to Tibet in order to be free. Exclusive Media Group, the parent organization behind Newmarket, financed Weir’s first film since his 2003 adventure “Master and Commander.” As reported by “Deadline,” Exclusive Media Group attempted to sell the challenging film for some time before keeping it in-house as a Newmarket release.
An impressive cast, including Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan, should help Newmarket promote the film as a prestige picture despite its solemn subject matter. Best known as the distributor of “The Passion of the Christ” and “Memento,” Newmarket is also the company behind “Agora,” starring Rachel Weisz, “Creation” and “Hesher.”
No word yet on audience response for "The Way Home" at Telluride.
