101 Studios has acquired U.S. rights to director Nicolas Bedos’s Cannes title La Belle Epoque, starring Daniel Auteuil, Guillaume Canet, Dora Tillier, Fanny Ardant, and Pierre Arditi.
The film premiered in Cannes and Toronto and is now slated for a spring 2020 U.S. theatrical release. It was released by Pathé Films in France in November and has drawn more than 1.3M admissions (approximately $8M). Box office has been good in other European markets, including Italy where it has made $1.7M to date.
The deal was negotiated by 101 Head of Acquisitions James Allen, CEO David Glasser, 101’s James Gold and Lief Cervantes of Sheppard Mullen on behalf of 101 Studios and Marie-Laurie Montironi on behalf of Pathé.
The comedy-drama follows a disillusioned sexagenarian who is offered the intriguing proposition of traveling back in time in a bid to rekindle romance and vitality.
“We were struck by Nicolas’ touching yet sharp-minded take on a romantic comedy and the impeccable performance given by Daniel Auteuil, who continues to be a tenacious force in French cinema. We’re simply delighted to give this film a platform for American audiences to discover it,” said Glasser.
“We are thrilled that La Belle Epoque will soon be released in the USA and found a great home with 101 Studios who has the capacity of optimizing its release and exhibition in the USA thanks to their background with other French high concept films in the past,” said Ardavan Safaee, President of Pathé Films.
Marie-Laure Montironi, EVP International for Pathé added, “We hope French cinema will continue travelling all around the world for decades and believe more than ever in the diversity of theatrical experiences. We are delighted to meet with new companies that follow this goal as well.”