Wolfe Releasing of San Jose, CA is preparing to distribute a director’s cut of 3 Needles to homes and theaters in the U.S.

The dramatic feature by Thom Fitzgerald – about how AIDS affects cultures in China, Africa and Canada – will open in 20 U.S. markets on Dec. 1 in conjunction with World AIDS Day, according to Wolfe spokesperson Corey Eubanks. The new version will include 20 extra minutes, and present the formerly crisscrossing plots as three separate, complete stories.

Some of the film’s star-studded ensemble, which includes Chloë Sevigny (Big Love), Shawn Ashmore (X-Men: The Last Stand), Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels) and Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy), will hit the publicity circuit before the film’s U.S. release.

Wolfe will release the same version on DVD in the U.S. in the spring.

3 Needles was crushed by critics, especially in Toronto, where it opened to less that $400 on one screen. Seville Pictures released that version on DVD June 20 with only the film’s trailer as a bonus feature.

Meanwhile, Seville is ‘very pleased’ with the DVD success of its Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. The May 23 title debuted at number 36 on Nielsen VideoScan for the week ending May 28, between U.S. titles The New World and Aeon Flux.

Big White skips theaters

The 2005 Winnipeg-shot feature The Big White was released straight-to-DVD on June 6, two days before its screening at the opening of the Winnipeg International Film Festival.

Penned by ex-Pegger Collin Friesen, The Big White stars Robin Williams as an Alaskan travel agent who claims a corpse he stumbles across is his long-lost brother in an effort to collect some insurance money. The film was supposed to receive a theatrical run via distributor Echo Bridge Entertainment, but the plans fell through despite having a big-name cast, also including Woody Harrelson and Holly Hunter.

Also…

* Brightlight Pictures’ feature video game adaptation BloodRayne debuted in ninth spot on the Nielsen VideoScan chart for the week ending May 28, while Alliance Atlantis’ Trailer Park Boys – Season 5 stood strong in 19th place 20 days into its release.

* Children’s content distributor kaBOOM! Entertainment and Nelvana Home Entertainment released the bilingual two-disc boxed set Franklin’s Lucky Charm/Le Porte-Bonheur de Benjamin on May 23. kaBOOM! is donating $1 from each unit sold to the Children’s Miracle Network charity.