Pedro Almodóvar’s Gay Western Short ‘Strange Way of Life’ Scores First Deal With MUBI (EXCLUSIVE)
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Pedro Almodóvar’s hotly anticipated short “Strange Way of Life” has secured its first deal ahead of its Cannes Film Festival world premiere next month.
In the project’s first announced multi-territory deal MUBI — the indie streamer, distributor and producer — has acquired all rights for Italy and Latin America. Pathe will be releasing the film in the U.K. under a longstanding agreement.
More from Variety
Shot in southern Spain’s Tabernas desert, “Strange Way of Life” stars Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as two gunmen who reunite after 25 years. The half-hour film has been described by Almodóvar as a “queer Western, in the sense that there are two men and they love each other,” the director said last December on Dua Lipa’s “At Your Service” podcast.
The short marks Almodóvar’s second foray into English-language filmmaking following Tilda Swinton starrer “The Human Voice” in 2020. “Strange Way of Life” will screen at Cannes with Hawke and Pascal in attendance followed by an onstage conversation with Almodóvar and the film’s top talents.
The all-rights deal for distribution of Almodóvar’s prestigious short in Italy and across Latin American territories was inked directly between the director’s own El Deseo shingle and MUBI, which has a distribution strategy that integrates streaming and theatrical play.
Almodóvar in his directors’ statement described “Strange Way of Life” as follows: “A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rides out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen. Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship….”
Produced by El Deseo, “Strange Way of Life” features costumes designed by Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello, who is also an associate producer on the project, and a music score by Spanish composer and regular Almodóvar collaborator Alberto Iglesias.
MUBI, which is available in 190 countries, has been raising its profile lately and stepping up acquisitions of prestigious arthouse titles. The company’s recent and upcoming releases include Ira Sachs’ “Passages”; Davy Chou’s “Return to Seoul”; Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave”; and Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” among other titles.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
