New York -- Showtime Networks Inc. last week acquired U.S.
distribution rights to Lolita, the controversial remake of Vladimir Nabokov's
1954 novel about a doomed affair between a middle-aged man and a teenaged girl.
Despite being directed by Adrian Lyne; featuring stars such
as Jeremy Irons, Melanie Griffith and Frank Langella; and carrying an "R"
rating, the film has not been able to find a theatrical distributor in the U.S. for nearly
two years.
But Jerry Offsay, president of programming for SNI, said
Showtime grabbed the title when it heard it was available. "We view our mandate as
putting the best programming on the air that's available to us," he said.
Lolita will premiere in August on both Showtime and
Sundance Channel, Offsay said.
He said Showtime would market Lolita
"sensitively" and anticipated a multimillion-dollar campaign.
