Australian distribution company Sharmill Films has acquired the Australian and New Zealand rights to Ruben Östlund’s new film The Entertainment System is Down.
The Entertainment System is Down is an upcoming film by the Oscar-nominated and two-time Palme d’Or-winning director of Triangle of Sadness. Sharmill will also partner locally with Stan Originals on the film’s release.
The ‘darkly satirical’ project, which stars Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, and Keanu Reeves, is set on a long-haul flight between England and Australia where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to ‘face the horror’ of being bored – a strong comment on our current addiction to screens.
The ensemble cast of The Entertainment System is Down includes Nicholas Braun, Tobias Menzies, Connor Swindells, Lindsay Duncan, Allan Corduner, Sofia Tjelta Sydness, Erin Ainsworth, Myles Kamwendo, Elle Piper, Thibaud Dooms, Sanna Sundqvist, Tea Stjärne, and Swedish artist Benjamin Ingrosso.
Featured Australian actors include Daniel Webber (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Wayne Blair (The New Boy), and Dan Wyllie (Animal Kingdom).
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The Entertainment System is Down
Filming began on The Entertainment System is Down in late January 2025 and will continue through to the end of May, with principal photography primarily taking place on a studio set built around a real Boeing 747 acquired and fitted out for the production.
Katharine Thornton CEO, Sharmill Films and Natalie Miller AO Executive Director, Sharmill Films said of acquiring The Entertainment System is Down:
‘Sharmill Films is thrilled to be working with Ruben Östlund again on our fourth feature together. One so uniquely tailored to the Australian and New Zealand market. The long-haul plane trip is a particular experience for those traveling to Australia and New Zealand, and Östlund’s films have all distinctly resonated with local audiences.
‘To have Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl and Keanu Reeves aboard the film is set to be a lot of fun for audiences! We’re also delighted to be partnering with Stan Originals on bringing original, major titles to our territory,’ Thornton added.
Sharmill Films had previously released Östlund’s titles Triangle of Sadness (2023), The Square (2017), and Force Majeure (2014), in the territory.
The Entertainment System Is Down was announced by director Ruben Östlund in May of 2022, after his film Triangle of Sadness premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival that month.
We reviewed Triangle of Sadness back in 2022: ‘Perhaps the funniest and most off-putting film of the year, Triangle of Sadness is a satire of the uber-wealthy, and director Ruben Östlund first English-language feature, that delights in letting its horrible characters really have it … and trust me when I say you’ll be laughing the whole way.’
ScreenHub: Triangle of Sadness review: eat the rich
Silvi Vann-Wall continues in the review: ‘It’s no coincidence Triangle of Sadness bears some obvious similarities to two other cultural landmarks of 2022: White Lotus and Glass Onion. In each we see people of enormous wealth and social status realising that may be the only thing they have going for them, and that when you take it away, they are nothing. Evidently this resonates with today’s audiences because we are so sick and tired of hearing about the elite in our own society breaking boundaries without consequence and making life hell for everyone else.’
Watch the trailer for Triangle of Sadness here.
From what we know so far, The Entertainment System is down will very much be in line with the themes of Östlund’s previous works.
The Entertainment System is Down does not currently have a release date.
