Animal Kingdom was one of the only jury prize winners I saw at Sundance, and quite possibly the best drama I saw at the festival. The Australian family crime saga was universally praised at the festival, and despite the dark subject matter and the lack of name-brand stars, it seemed almost guaranteed that the film would be picked up.

Sony Pictures Classics, it seems, is the studio to take up the challenge. In a press release today they announced their plans to distribute the film in North America, though no specific release date was mentioned. The official statement, attributed solely to "Sony Pictures Classics," said"There is nothing more exciting than the birth of a major filmmaker.  David Michôd is about as major as they come. Just when you think you have seen every conceivable angle on the gangster movie along comes a movie like Animal Kingdom that is so fresh it feels like a reinvention of the genre. "

You can read my review of Animal Kingdom, which stars Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton and Guy Pearce, here. Fans of crime dramas, or of good movies in general, will be glad they seek this one out.