MUMBAI: Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired the US theatrical rights of Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life from River Road Entertainment.

The film, which tells the story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s chronicling the journey of the eldest son, Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) from childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile his complicated relationship with his father, played by Pitt. 

The outcome of Life starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain had been hanging for quite some time when River Road head Bill Pohlad had closed the distributorship issue in the wake of Bob Berney‘s resignation in May. The film is produced by Pohlad, Sarah Green, Pitt, Dede Gardner and Grant Hill.

At one time, the film had been rumored as a possible Cannes debutant but it wasn‘t completed in time for that festival.

Searchlight will now release the film in 2011.