Dead Man’s Wire has been acquired by Row K Entertainment.
Sources tell me the surprise sleeper of both Venice and TIFF is ‘expected to be released this year,’ and will qualify for year-end awards, including Academy Awards.
Gus Van Sant’s nail-biting, satiric thriller, based on real events, stars Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery, who both do Award-worthy work as does Colman Domingo. Van Sant has been nominated for the Best Director Oscar twice, for 1997’s Good Will Hunting and 2008’s Milk. He has never won.
Here’s the release:
ROW K ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES U.S. AND CANADIAN DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS TO
GUS VAN SANT’S DEAD MAN’S WIRE
Among The First Major Deals Out of TIFF, Deal Marks First Release for The Newly Launched U.S. Theatrical Distribution Company
Toronto, Canada — September 9, 2025 — Row K Entertainment (“Row K”) has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire. The film, starring Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino, made its North American premiere this week at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (“TIFF”) and currently holds a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This comes after its debut last week at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where the film received a 13.5-minute standing ovation. The acquisition marks one of the first major transactions out of this year’s TIFF and serves as the inaugural release title for Row K, which launched in August 2025.
Dead Man’s Wire is the fascinating true story of the 1977 kidnapping that made aspiring Indianapolis entrepreneur Tony Kiritsis an eccentric outlaw folk hero.
Row K is a new U.S. theatrical distribution company from Media Capital Technologies (“MCT”). Built to meet the growing demands of the modern distribution marketplace, the company focuses on wide release, star-driven, and prestige filmmaker-driven movies with global appeal. Row K takes its name from the seat often considered the best view in the theater, underscoring the company’s commitment to elevating the cinematic experience. CAA Media Finance, which helped ideate Row K, serves as an advisory partner to the company.
“When we launched Row K less than a month ago we knew the type of movies, and even more importantly, filmmakers, that we wanted to align ourselves with, which is why we could not be more energized to work alongside Gus Van Sant and the cast of Dead Man’s Wire to bring this story to audiences across the United States and Canada,” said MCT Principals and Row K Co-Chairman Christopher Woodrow and Raj Singh. “As evidenced by the reactions out of Venice and now TIFF, Dead Man’s Wire is an incredibly captivating film and a statement to the kind of ambitious, artist-driven cinema we are committed to championing.”
“Gus Van Sant has crafted yet another masterful work that audiences are already embracing around the world,” said Row K President Megan Colligan. “As we introduce and scale Row K, we’re proud that our very first release is Dead Man’s Wire. It’s an ambitious, artist-driven film that reflects the kind of bold cinema we intend to bring to audiences.”
The acquisition was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by Cassian Elwes of Elevated Films and Paula Paizes and Sam Pressman of Pressman Film. WME Independent represents the worldwide rights for the film.
MCT is a media and entertainment investment company founded in 2019 focused on structured finance, corporate transactions, and venture incubation. The company manages investment vehicles, operates a portfolio of principal investments, and is backed by a range of institutional investors, including MassMutual, which acquired an interest in the company in 2021.
MCT has been Lionsgate’s primary slate co-financing partner since 2023 and has invested in over 20 films with the studio, including Saw X, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Flight Risk, and the John Wick spinoff Ballerina. Upcoming titles include The Long Walk, Good Fortune, and The Housemaid.
In early 2025, MCT partnered with iconic filmmaker Eli Roth to launch The Horror Section, a 360 media company focused on building a robust intellectual property library and creating the world’s premier horror brand. Roth’s Ice Cream Man was scooped up by international buyers this year at Cannes and is scheduled for a wide theatrical release in 2026.
MCT and Row K are both represented by CAA.
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I was a kid in Indy when the Kiritsis thing happened, some liberties appear to have been taken here
Van Sant said it’s based on the real story but some of it has been fictionalized (like most movies based in fact). It’s a terrific film.