Weinstein Co. acquires 'Kill Buljo'

Norwegian film parodies Tarantino's 'Kill Bill'

By GUNNAR REHLIN

STOCKHOLM -- The Weinstein Co. has bought the rights for the U.S., U.K. and Australia to a Norwegian low-budget parody of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill," which has become an unlikely international success.

The 1.3 million Norwegian kroner ($250,000) "Kill Buljo," which screened at the American Film Market, has sold to more than 20 territories including Japan, Poland, Turkey, Germany, Thailand, the Benelux countries, France, Brazil, Israel, Romania, South Africa, Russia, the Baltic countries, Spain, Bulgaria and Portugal.

Distribs in several countries are opting for theatrical releases but the Weinstein territories are likely to be released straight to DVD.

"Kill Buljo" was co-written, co-produced and helmed by Tommy Wirkola and a group of friends for Yellow Bastard Prods., and shot in Finnmark, northern Norway.

Pic, which also parodies recent Norwegian films, opened to scathing reviews locally but did well at the box office, with an attendance of more than 100,000. It has recently been released on DVD in Norway.

"It is almost surreal to imagine that the film will be seen all over the world, when I think of how small it was, and how we started," Wirkola said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing it dubbed into Japanese and Russian. And the fact that the Weinsteins bought it for the English-speaking territories is great, because that means that Quentin Tarantino will get a chance to see it."