Andrea Occhipinti of Italy’s Lucky Red has closed a deal with Hyde Park for Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis’ Machete, in advance of its out of competition midnight screening on Venice’s opening day.

The deal was concluded the day before the festival kicked off, Occhipinti told ScreenDaily.

Screen’s critic wrote that the film is “a lurid and ludicrous piece of B-movie exploitation action-adventure, packed with death, mayhem, scantily clad women, disposable villains and a snarling hero who makes Stallone seem like a bit of a wimp.”

The cast features Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan and Tom Savini.

Occhipinti says the distribution date for Italy will be determined at a later time.