2013 Sundance Film Festival Predictions: Richard Ayoade’s The Double

Premiering to rave reviews at the 2010 edition of Sundance, Richard Ayoade (pic above) moved from acclaimed Submarine to fielding what was probably tons of offers. Late in 2011, his sophomore project was fired up, casting was in place by February of this year and lensing began in May. My thinking is that there might be a Korine reunion under one fest, with Spring Breakers possibly being joined by The Double, which Ayoade co-wrote with Avi Korine. When you factor in that Sundance regular Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska topline the project, this is the type of film that’ll be a headline grabber and buyer must. If included at the fest, it’ll be four films in four years at the fest for Cinematographer Erik Wilson (Tyrannosaur, The Imposter). Noah Taylor reunites with the director.

Gist: The Double is billed as a funny and frightening story about an insignificant man driven to near breakdown by the appearance of his doppelganger. This modern retelling of Dostoyevsky’s novella sees Eisenberg playing a clerk who encounters a literal facsimile of himself working at his office. The doppelganger tries to take over his life and the film will follow the clerk’s “descent into madness.”

Production Co./Producers: Alcove Entertainment’s Amina Dasmal and Robin C. Fox

Prediction: Premieres section

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available