Audiences eagerly anticipating Hostel director Eli Roth’s cannibal horror movie Green Inferno will have to go hungry.
Deadline reports that the gory film about a group of students who become the meal du jour for cannibals after venturing into the Amazon rainforest has been removed from distributor Open Road’s upcoming release calendar. Despite the controversial nature of the film, the problem is reportedly behind the scenes, not what happens in front of the camera.
According to the pun-filled report, the financing company responsible for much of the advertising for the film, Worldview Entertainment, has put its commitment on hold after the abrupt departure of the company’s CEO, Christopher Woodrow. The film had been scheduled for a wide release September 5, but now the project remains in limbo. If the distributor cannot come to terms with the financier or find a new party willing to foot the bill for advertising, the film may go straight to video instead of receiving a theater run.
Roth’s film isn’t the only one to be affected by Worldview’s sudden, behind-the-scenes business problems. The upcoming Birdman, starring Michael Keaton, was also subject to a commitment from Worldview supporting its wide release.
It’s worth noting that critical appraisal of Green Inferno doesn’t appear to play any role in the film’s current predicament, as reviews thus far seem to be fairly positive among critics and the sort of audiences that seek out films about cannibals preying on co-eds.
