While many moviegoers might want to forget about Miley Cyrus’s “film career” as a whole, it looks like they might not have to work so hard – one of the studios she’s completed a film for seems bent on doing it on their own. Cyrus starred in Lisa Azuelos’s LOL, the English-language adaptation of the writer-director’s 2008 French film of the same name, back in 2010, and when it was picked up by Lionsgate for domestic distribution, the studio initially seemed excited about the project. Lionsgate’s then-production president, Allie Shearmur, said that it was “the kind of smart, fresh and accessible comedy that…is a great fit for Lionsgate’s release slate.”
That’s apparently changed, however, as the L.A. Times (via Cinema Blend) reports that the studio has finally set the film for a release that clearly spells out how little they care about it – giving it a limited release in just seven cities on the same day The Avengers is released, May 4. Reportedly, “Lionsgate executives were not confident that they could successfully sell the picture, which centers on Cyrus’ character, named Lola, but features a series of interwoven tales involving teenagers.” Even worse, the film would have gone straight to DVD, but “contracts with foreign distributors contained a provision that the movie must be shown domestically in at least 100 theaters.” No matter, as apparently Lionsgate’s home entertainment division is handling the film’s marketing, not its theatrical marketing team. OMG.
The film is described as being “about teen romance in the age of texting and social media” and has a “sophisticated tone” that should provide Cyrus with some very different material than she is used to. Azuelos is particularly passionate about the project, telling the Times, “I really thought this movie could be universal…Usually teen movies are tender or scary or have vampires in them, but they’re never realistic. This story isn’t too dirty and not too stupid.” Azuelos also revealed that “she was told by Lionsgate executives that they couldn’t give LOL the proper attention until after Hunger Games.”
Amusingly enough, the Times reports that “a studio spokeswoman said that Cyrus was not available to discuss LOL due to her schedule. On her Twitter page, the actress has within the last weeks written about spending her time obsessively watching the television show Prison Break, eating walnuts, and walking her dog.” LMAO indeed.
