Amazon Studios announced on Thursday that Woody Allen’s “Wonder Wheel” will premiere on the closing night of the New York Film Festival and will be released in theaters on Dec. 1 as the first film the studio will distribute on its own.
For previous projects, Amazon Studios co-distributed with other companies. “The Big Sick,” for example, was co-distributed with Lionsgate, while “Manchester By The Sea” was co-distributed with Roadside Attractions.
Taking place at Coney Island in the 1950s, “Wonder Wheel” tells the story of a struggling carousel operator on the famous New York boardwalk (Jim Belushi) and his wife (Kate Winslet). The story is narrated by a lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) who may have made the entire story up, or at least embellished it with his wild imagination. It will get its first screening at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on Oct. 14 at the conclusion of the New York Film Festival, which will run from Sept. 28-Oct. 15.
“I’m not quite sure what I expected when I sat down to watch ‘Wonder Wheel,’ but when the lights came up I was speechless. There are elements in the film that will certainly be familiar to anyone who knows Woody Allen’s work, but here he holds them up to a completely new light,” NYFF Director Kent Jones said in a statement.
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“I mean that literally and figuratively, because Allen and [cinematographer] Vittorio Storaro use light and color in a way that is stunning in and of itself but also integral to the mounting emotional power of the film. And at the center of it all is Kate Winslet’s absolutely remarkable performance–precious few actors are that talented, or fearless.”
Presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival’s program will also include Richard Linklater’s “Last Flag Flying” and Todd Haynes’ “Wonderstruck,” both of which are also Amazon Studios releases. For more on tickets, click here.