John Wilson Doc ‘The History of Concrete’ Gets Theatrical Release

The John Wilson-directed documentary The History of Concrete has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for North America, with a theatrical release planned for later this year.

The History of Concrete, the feature debut from the creative behind the popular HBO series How To with John Wilson, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. The doc follows Wilson, after the finale of his TV show and looking for a new creative outlet, as he attempts to make the definitive documentary about concrete and to tell that story through the structure of a Hallmark movie.

Dan Fienberg, in his The Hollywood Reporter review out of Sundance, writes, “John Wilson is the Werner Herzog of the mundane, the lo-fi poet laureate of New York City. He’s half puckish prankster, half earnest documentarian, all inquisitive wanderer. Once you tap into his vibe, carefully written and edited to seem stream-of-consciousness, the viewing experience is like the most laconic roller coaster imaginable.”

Wilson produced the doc, along with Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak and Allie Viti. Executive producers are Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Conor Hannon and Richie Doyle, with Francis Carr Jr. co-producing.

“John Wilson’s singular wit and wisdom make us want to get out and walk every block of every borough of New York, despite having lived here for decades,” said Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley. “The film is a wildly funny odyssey that will literally change the way you see things.”

“Magnolia has long championed artistic and unconventional filmmaking, so it’s a real honor to have The History of Concrete join that legacy,” said Wilson. “This is a film that was always meant to be experienced collectively, and I can’t wait for audiences to discover it in a real-life movie theater. Despite what the title might suggest, it’s also a great date movie!”

The deal was negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers.