Boots Riley came through with some bad news on Twitter yesterday. Those who have been planning to view his recent flick, Sorry To Bother You, in the comfort of their cribs might not actually get the opportunity. The filmmaker shared his production's inability to secure appropriate distribution for the film to travel abroad. To top it off, it seems like the unpleasant struggle stems from racial discrimination.
The director sums up the situation in a tweet.
" Even tho we'r outperforming a gang of other movies, distributors r claiming 'Black movies' dont do well internationally and r treating it as such. There'r films that bombed here, that theyr distributing. Let em know wsup"
This comes despite the film's being critically acclaimed and well received by moviegoers. Sorry To Bother You has racked a domestic total of $14 million so far, which is a solid number for this type of niche film. The flic is currently in its fourth weekend.
Films like Black Panther, Hidden Figures and Moonlight have found substantial success within American and abroad. Many were hopeful that this type of success would diminish the discrimination artists in the film industry face when simply trying to do their thing. Unfortunately, race seems to affect business on an international level as foreign distributors shy away from closing a deal.
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