Focus Features To Distribute 'Juan Of The Dead'

I'll agree with anyone who says that it is time to retire the '____ of the Dead' title format (along with the 'Once Upon a Time in ____') but that doesn't mean that there aren't good films still hiding behind the moniker. Take Juan of the Dead, a Cuban zombie film that premiered at Toronto last year and has garnered good reviews in the four months since.

The film is about an unemployed father who finds that he can make a living killing zombies during an outbreak of the undead. Some have seen a political commentary in the movie, though director Alejandro Brugues says the film is more about society, economics and resourcefulness. (Sounds like politics to me, when taken against the backdrop of a country like Cuba.)

Anyway, Focus World, the digital distribution arm of Focus Features, will now release the film in the US. Variety says Focus World "premieres titles across video-on-demand and electronic sell-thru platforms, including cable/satellite providers, iTunes, Xbox 360, Playstation and YouTube." Check out the trailer below if you've missed it in the past.

In his review from Fantastic Fest, Germain said,

The humor is prominent throughout, the characters are delightfully ambiguous and the idea of forming a zombie killing service is something new and fresh. If everything surrounding those things wasn't so ham-handed, Juan of the Dead could have been something special. As it stands, it's a valiant effort that misses the mark.

We don't have a digital availability date yet, but the deal also allows for a theatrical run from another distributor.