Lars von Trier's 'Nymphomaniac' hooks up with Magnolia Pictures

If there were some kind of cinematic mad lib invented for maximum potential art house outrage, Danish filmmaker/provocateur Lars von Triers Nymphomaniac -- with a cast including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Christian Slater, Stellan Skarsgard, Connie Nielson, Willem Dafoe and Udo Kier -- might be that movie.

Magnolia Pictures said Tuesday it had acquired U.S. rights to the film following the screening of a promo reel at the Berlin Film Festival. The project is planned to be released in two parts, with Magnolia acquiring rights to both. The film is said to follow a female sex addict through different stages of her life.

Magnolia released Von Triers previous film Melancholia, starring Kirsten Dunst, which was something of a surprise success at the box office and on video-on-demand, as well as topping numerous critics lists as the best film of 2011. The movie became mired in controversy following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, when Von Trier,at a festival news conference, made jokes about being a Nazi.

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Though Cannes has been a longtime launch pad for Von Trier's films, with the director taking nine movies there, it is unclear whether he would be welcomed back to the French festival. Producer Peter Aalbaek Jensen was recently quoted as saying tha! t "Nympho! maniac" was not expected to be ready in time for the May festival, with a likely unveiling later in the year.

We couldnt be more excited to be working with Mr. von Trier again on the Nymphomaniac films, Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles said in a statement. "Hes such an exciting and talented filmmaker -- its an honor and a thrill to be associated with his world.

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