The Tree of Life for 2009?

(Tree of Life, 1905, Frank Lloyd Wright)

This tantalizing news was buried deep in a Variety piece with details that Bright Star and The Tree of Life have been picked up for distribution by newly formed company Apparition. THR quotes a press release describing Apparition as a “fiercely independent, artist friendly distributor” with “a sensitivity and passion for the work as well as an ability to bring it to the marketplace with ingenuity and creativity.” THR doesn’t mention a year-end premiere, but Variety says the film “hasn’t been dated but will be released around the year-end holiday season. The 2009 bow is interesting since Malick is famous for long post-production periods.” It’s that last sentence that keeps making my right eyebrow twitch.

The news was picked up by sources we trust not to grasp at straws. I held off here, keeping my fingers crossed for more solid confirmation, but so far none is forthcoming. Even with such wispy hints, the news could be huge, so the speculation is worth repeating. The Tree of Life is a possible game-changer, on the scale of the on-again off-again December release of The Reader last year.