Emmy and Golden Globe winner Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) has been set to lead pandemic-themed thriller Rich Flu, we can reveal. Producers include Pablo Larraín and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula banner which produced Spencer, Jackie and No.
Sierra/Affinity is handling international sales and launching to buyers for the first time at the virtual European Film Market. CAA Media Finance is representing domestic.
In Rich Flu, a strange disease kills off some of the richest and most influential people on the planet. First it was the billionaires, then the multi-millionaires and so on progressively….Then it threatens to strike anyone with any sort of fortune. With the whole world panicking, people try to flood the market with assets the world no longer wants. The movie asks how far people would go to save their skin when the wealth that made the world go round suddenly becomes its most dangerous commodity.
Pic is to be directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia from a script written by Pedro Rivero and Gaztelu-Urrutia. Principal photography is slated to commence in fall of this year.
Gaztelu-Urrutia recently directed The Platform which was also co-written by Rivero. The film was originally released in Spain in 2019 and subsequently by Netflix internationally in early 2020. It went on to become one of the streamer’s most-watched original films with 56 million households viewing it over its first four weeks of release.
Also producing are Adrián Guerra and Núria Valls via the Nostromo Pictures banner; Carlos Juárez; Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia and Albert Soler.
Pike earned an Oscar nomination for David Fincher’s Gone Girl and she won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her performance in the dark comedic thriller I Care A Lot. She is currently starring in TV series The Wheel Of Time on Amazon Prime Video.
Gaztelu-Urrutia stated: “Rich Flu is an immense physical saga, full of twists, obstacles, and surprises. But, above all, it is a complex and provocative emotional journey to the depths of the human soul and the pinnacles of our glorious self-indulgence. Only an artist with the bravery and intelligence of Rosamund Pike could bring this film to life. I’m extremely grateful for the incredible and highly-respected team at Sierra/Affinity for their support in sharing our project at the Berlin market.”
Kristen Figeroid, Managing Director and Executive Vice President for Sierra/Affinity, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Galder and his innovative filmmaking team to bring this project to the EFM. His vision for Rich Flu expands his world-building capabilities to a global stage for this timely, unflinching thriller.”
Pike is represented by CAA, Magnolia Entertainment and United Agents. Gaztelu-Urrutia is represented by CAA and XYZ. Pablo Larraín is represented by CAA and Management 360.