‘Southland Tales’ Could Be Getting ‘Expanded’ Re-Release, Teases Richard Kelly
Good news for “Southland Tales” fans: the 2007 fantasy thriller could be getting an expanded re-release. In an interview with Vulture, director Richard Kelly discussed the possibility of his surreal feature getting some form of re-release, and an “expanded” one at that.
“Southland Tales” is set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles in the then near future of 2008. The country goes into chaotic mode after an explosion on July 4, and small gangs take over the cities. In LA, a group of rebels launch a scientific experiment to duplicate people’s identity. And that’s just the beginning of Kelly’s unique — and often maligned — creative vision. When the film was released, it was widely bashed by critics and audiences alike, and still holds a dismal 36% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As he explained to IndieWire earlier this year, “It was such an aggressively political film made in response to the reelection of George W. Bush and both 9/11 and Iraq War pop culture…There was so much vitriol thrown at the film that all the distributors were really unwilling to support it.”
Still, it seems that Kelly is hoping for a second life for the film — or at least a new take on the old material.
“Nothing is official yet, but there have been a lot of internal discussions about bringing ‘Southland Tales’ back in a big way and in an expanded way,” the filmmaker told the site. “I think a few more ducks have to fall into place, things need to be solidified, but there is definitely a path opening to much more ‘Southland Tales’ and we just want to make sure that we’re really doing it properly and realizing the full potential of the narrative. So stay tuned for more on the ‘Southland Tales’ front, that’s for sure. We’re moving things in the right directions.”
The film stars a pre-movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Justin Timberlake, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Seann William Scott.
This was the second film Kelly wrote and directed. It followed his 2001 cult classic “Donnie Darko,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which returns to theaters in 4K this weekend, in celebration of the film’s 15th anniversary.
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