Sony Pictures has picked up Richard Kelly's Southland Tales despite horrible reviews at the Cannes Film Festival.

Southland Tales is a science-fiction thriller interweaving an ensemble cast including The Rock, Kevin Smith, Seann William Scott (in two roles) and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The film is a portrait of Los Angeles and a comment on the military-industrial newstainment complex.

The film takes place in the not so distant future, shows the city of Los Angeles, fallen victim to a nuclear attack, "a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions which precipitates America into war. In order to be able to respond to the fuel scarcity, the company USIDent designs a generator of inexhaustible energy which operates thanks to ocean currents. In this city on the brink of chaos, we follow the criss-crossed destinies of Boxer Santaros, action film actor stricken with amnesia; Krysta Now, ex porno star in the midst of reconverting; and twin brothers Roland and Ronald Taverner, whose destinies becomes confused with that of all mankind."

The film was highly anticipated due to the cult status of Kelly's 2001 indie film Donnie Darko. When the film got horrible critical reception at Cannes, Kelly speculated that the studios would recut and ruin the film.

"(Richard) is going to complete his edit and when we see his cut, we'll figure out the distribution plan," Sony Home president Ben Feingold said. "But it will be theatrical."

Sony Home Entertainment will also distribute the movie on DVD.