HBO Max debuted the trailer and key art today for the new Max Original documentary There is No I in Threesome. The film begins streaming in the US ahead of Valentine’s Day on 11 February and will have its world premiere this weekend at the WarnerMedia Lodge at the Sundance Film Festival. This is the first time a New Zealand film has been released as an HBO Max Original.
The film will release in cinemas in New Zealand and Australia later in the year.
Zoe and Ollie are in love - freshly engaged and maintaining a long-distance relationship. Sexually explorative and in a daze of pre-marital bliss, the pair decide to throw traditional rules out the window by opening up their relationship, before tying the knot. What could go wrong? The couple document their unconventional and intimate journey into non-monogamy, but when relationship lines blur, Ollie and Zoe are forced to face the dramatic implications of their decision. There is No I In Threesome is a modern-day love story, exploring the ups, downs and surprises of an open relationship.
There is No I in Threesome is directed by Jan Oliver Lucks who also co-wrote and stars in the film alongside co-writer Natalie Medlock, and is produced by Alexander Behse and Alex Reed.
There is No I in Threesome was made with investment from the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and Monsoon Pictures International with additional private equity and was developed with the assistance of the NZFC and Script to Screen. The HBO Max deal was negotiated by Cinetic Media and Autlook Film Sales.
“Making this film over the last five years has been one wild, slippery, ride (I will never look at hot-water bottles the same way). I am thrilled that we can now FINALLY share the journey, offering a voyeuristic look at the fun to be had when opening up a relationship. Bring your mum, but don’t tell mine!” says director Jan Oliver Lucks.
“There is No I in Threesome is a glimpse into the most private part of a couple's lives and to do this well we asked for a lot of vulnerability from them. Working closely with an intimacy co-ordinator made the process safe for everyone and ultimately resulted in more freedom of expression rather than restriction because it was all about trust and everyone involved respected that,” says producer Alex Reed
“To score a worldwide release with HBO Max and to become an Original for them is proof that what we believed in all the way worked out,” says producer Alexander Behse. “I am utterly stoked for everyone involved, from cast to crew and particularly the director Ollie, who's put all on screen - no pun intended.”
“I would like to congratulate the filmmakers,” says NZFC CEO, Annabelle Sheehan. “This is a highly personal film and having it release as an Original on HBO Max gives it the potential to trigger important conversations about the nature and complexity of 21st century relationships.”