Tradecraft: Image Acquires The Double

Deadline reports that Image Entertainment has closed a pre-Cannes deal to distribute the Richard Gere spy thriller The Double in the United States.  I've been following this one for a while now, and was curious to see the directing debut of Michael Brandt, who, along with his partner Derek Haas, wrote 3:10 To Yuma and Wanted, as well as such still unmade spy fare as the Robert Ludlum adaptation The Matarese Circle. (held up indefinitely thanks to MGM's troubles) and Matt Helm (still in development, with Paul Attanasio penning the most recent draft)—and The Double. Gere plays a Cold War CIA operative called out of retirement to help a young FBI agent (Topher Grace) track a Russian assassin of Gere's own vintage.  Quantum of Solace Bond Girl Stana Katic rounds out the cast as a Russian prostitute.  While the acquisition sounds like good news, I'm not sure it is.  So far, Image's M.O. with their acquisitions has been to basically dump them directly to DVD after a very brief and very limited contractually obligated theatrical run a week or two in advance of that.  So unless they're expanding their distribution arm, this might mean that most people won't get to see The Double in theaters.  I hope that's not the case.