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IFC Films Acquires \'The Canyons,\' Lindsay Lohan Movie With a Tale Behind It

On the set of Jeff Minton for The New York Times On the set of “The Canyons” in Los Angeles last summer: Amanda Brooks, Lindsay Lohan and Paul Schrader.

If you’ve read about “The Canyons” and wondered what it might look like on a screen  you’ll soon you’ll be able to see this  Lindsay Lohan movie in a theater or on a television near you.

IFC Films said on Friday that it had acquired for North American distribution “The Canyons,” a sexual thriller directed by Paul Schrader (the screenwriter of “Taxi Driver” and director of “Affliction”), written by Bret Easton Ellis (“American Psyho”), and starring Ms. Lohan and the pornographic film actor James Deen.

“The Canyons” drew some early attention for the online strategies of its filmmakers and producer Braxton Pope, who opened some roles up for casting on the Web, and raised money for the movie through crowdsourced contributions.

But “The Canyons” is arguably better known for an article on the making of the movie, written by Stephen Rodrick for The New York Times Magazine, in which he chronicled, among other incidents, the temperamental behavior of Ms. Lohan on the set  and a sex scene that Mr. Schrader filmed while he was in the nude, in an attempt to make his leading lady more comfortable.

IFC said in news release that “The Canyons” will be released in early summer, and will be shown in a special presentation at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, where it will! be followed by a conversation with Mr. Schrader and Kent Jones, the director of programming for the New York Film Festival. The movie will also be shown on digital and on-demand platforms.

In a statement, Mr. Jones said: “On one level, ‘The Canyons’ is a visually and tonally precise, acid-etched horror story of souls wandering through a hyper-materialistic hell, with a fearless and, I think, stunning performance by Lindsay Lohan at its center; on another level, it’s an inspiration and an example to us all: it’s difficult for me to imagine another filmmaker of Paul Schrader’s stature diving into the world of crowd-sourced moviemaking, let alone with such fervor, dedication and rigor.”

There was no immediate comment from Ms. Lohan.