The Bling Ring

The Bling Ring
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySofia Coppola
Screenplay bySofia Coppola
Based on"The Suspects Wore Louboutins"
by Nancy Jo Sales
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited bySarah Flack
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • A24 (United States)
  • StudioCanal (United Kingdom)[1]
  • Pathé Distribution (France)[1]
  • Tobis Film (Germany)[1]
  • Tohokushinsha Film (Japan)[1]
Release dates
  • May 16, 2013 (2013-05-16) (Cannes)
  • June 12, 2013 (2013-06-12) (France)
  • June 14, 2013 (2013-06-14) (United States)
  • July 5, 2013 (2013-07-05) (United Kingdom)
  • August 15, 2013 (2013-08-15) (Germany)
  • December 14, 2013 (2013-12-14) (Japan)
Running time
90 minutes[2]
Countries
  • France
  • Germany
  • Japan
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.2 million[3]
Box office$20.2 million[4]

The Bling Ring is a 2013 crime film written and directed by Sofia Coppola[5] featuring an ensemble cast led by Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Taissa Farmiga, Claire Julien, Georgia Rock and Leslie Mann. It is based on the 2010 Vanity Fair article "The Suspects Wore Louboutins" by Nancy Jo Sales, which dealt with a real-life gang known as the Bling Ring. The story follows a group of fame-obsessed teenagers who use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to burgle their homes.

The film was an international co-production by producers in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan. Coppola began developing a screenplay based on the real-life burglaries in December 2011, with Francis Ford Coppola executive producing through American Zoetrope and Roman Coppola as producer. She saw it as a departure from her previous works by focusing on a group of teenagers who are "products of our growing reality TV culture", exploring consumerist tabloid culture and obsession with fame.[6] Casting took place in early 2012 with Coppola choosing mostly young, unknown actors for the main roles. Principal photography occurred between March and April that same year in Los Angeles, California. Brian Reitzell served as supervisor for the film's soundtrack and co-wrote the musical score with Daniel Lopatin.

The Bling Ring had its world premiere on May 16, 2013, in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[7] In the United States, it had a limited theatrical release by A24 on June 14, 2013, before opening wide one week later. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the cast and Coppola's "stylish" direction; Watson in particular received critical acclaim for her performance. However, others criticized the film for its morally ambiguous approach towards the subject matter.[8] The film grossed $20 million worldwide against its $8 million budget.

The Bling Ring represents the final work of cinematographer Harris Savides, who died of brain cancer while the film was in post-production, to whom the film is dedicated.[9]

  1. ^ a b c d Jeremy Kay. "Sofia Coppola's Bling Ring is just the thing for FilmNation". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "THE BLING RING (15)". British Board of Film Classification. April 24, 2013. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  3. ^ Galloway, Stephen (May 8, 2013). "'The Bling Ring's' Sofia Coppola: The Trials, Tears and Talent". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Bling Ring (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  5. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (July 4, 2013). "Sofia Coppola on The Bling Ring: 'What these kids did really took ingenuity'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference DailyTelegraph was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "'Bling Ring' Will Open Cannes' Un Certain Regard Sidebar". Deadline Hollywood. April 17, 2013. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Ryan, Tim (June 21, 2013). "Critics Consensus: Monsters University is Certified Fresh". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  9. ^ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (June 21, 2013). "The Bling Ring Movie Review & Film Summary (2013)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.