Marketing

Drive sparked buzz before it was even being edited. Director Nicolas Winding Refn attended the 2010 Cannes Film Festival during pre-production in an effort to sell the indie car film to distributors with promotional posters. FilmDistrict bought the North American distribution rights just as filming ended.

Ryan Gosling's heavy involvement in the film (being handpicked by the producers, having a say as to who the director would be, etc.) may have sparked the initial excitement over the film's release. However, the star studded cast (Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks) along with Refn, whose previous project Bronson was highly acclaimed, also had movie buffs and indie connoisseurs waiting with baited breath. Drive premiered at Cannes on May 20, 2011, receiving a Best Director award and a 15 minute standing ovation.

The film was widely released in the US on September 16, 2011. The marketing for Drive seemed misleading. Mass audiences unaware of the festival buzz went into theaters expecting exactly what the commercials and trailers suggested - a high speed action flick. This disappointed many viewers who did not appreciate it's slow churning pace. In fact, one Michigan woman sued both FilmDistrict and the theater after watching Drive because of the deceiving previews. Nevertheless, the film was widely acclaimed, landed on many "Best of 2011" lists, and is up for top prizes at 2012's Independent Spirit Awards including Best Film.