Since the recent Sundance premiere of Ben Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” film critics haven’t been able to stop gushing about the festival favorite. The highly successful independent feature centers on a young, Black girl named Hushpuppy–played newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis–and her father Wink–played by Dwight Henry, both of whom live in a fictional sinking bayou called Bathtub. According to Tambay of Shadow & Act, “filled with whimsy, BOTSW also packs an emotional punch. There’s humor, joy, beauty, tragedy, hope and a spirit that moves.”

Beating out the many interested companies, including The Weinstein Company and Focus Features, it was Fox Searchlight Pictures (‘Black Swan,’ ‘Tree of Life’) that ultimately acquired the indie darling for distribution. While there is no information yet as to release dates, BOTSW will most likely open in New York and Los Angeles before possibly extending to theaters nationally.

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