Summit Buys Polanski's Latest Film, Retitled The Ghost Writer

Isn't this a nicely ironic move by the tween-happy Summit Entertainment?

There was a shade of doubt about the future of The Ghost, Roman Polanski's latest film, when the director was arrested in Switzerland at the end of September. The mostly-completed film needed a sound mix and a few other tweaks, and Polanski worked on the film from his Swiss prison. Now Summit Entertainment has picked up the film for distribution in the US. It also has a slightly altered title: The Ghost Writer.

The title can be traced back to the core of the plot: Ewan McGregor is a ghostwriter who is hired to help a former UK prime minister (Pierce Brosnan) finish his memoirs. McGregor uncovers hidden tales of sexual and political intrigue involving the PM. The script is based on the novel The Ghost, by Robert Harris.

The statement from Summit's Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger is enthusiastic:

We had the good fortune to recently screen 'The Ghost Writer' in Paris and were amazed at the film Roman and his team have created. He once again has proven himself as one of the world's most talented filmmakers and master of suspense creating a very modern thriller and we look forward to sharing this film with North American audiences.

Summit will release the film early next year, after it debuts at the Berlinale in February.

This comes just as the attorney for Samantha Geimer, the victim in Polanski's decades-old rape case, has again stated that she thinks his case should be dismissed, which, from her perspective, may be a reasonable thing to demand. But at this point the case is about far more than the initial charge. It's about his flight and a general obstruction of justice (on both his side and the court's) and has to be resolved.