Saban Films closing on Fragile Films’ comedic thriller ‘Pixie’ with Olivia Cooke, Ben Hardy, Colm Meaney and Alec Baldwin
Saban Films is closing on North American distribution rights to Pixie starring Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Emmy and Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Alec Baldwin (Mission: Impossible franchise, Still Alice), Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody, X-Men: Apocalypse), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders) and Golden Globe nominee Colm Meaney (The Banker, Layer Cake).
The film centers on Pixie (Cooke), who wants to avenge her mother’s death by masterminding a heist. Her plans go awry and she finds herself on the run across the wild Irish countryside with two young men (Hardy, McCormack) who are way out of their depth and being chased by a psychotic hitman and a gang of gun-toting priests. She has to pit her wits against everyone, taking on the patriarchy to claim the right to shape her own life.
Barnaby Thompson (St. Trinians) directed and produced the comedic thriller from a script by Preston Thompson (Kids in Love). James Clayton (My Generation, Pride) also produced with Ingenious Media’s Peter Touche (Unhinged, Military Wives, Blinded by the Light) and Samantha Allwinton as executive producers.
Jonathan Saba and Bill Bromiley negotiated the deal for Saban Films along with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. Endeavor Content is also handling international sales. Paramount Pictures is releasing in the UK and Ireland. The film was funded by Ingenious Media and Fragile Films with support from Northern Ireland Screen and filmed on location in Northern Ireland.
Saban Films continues to grow its presence in the industry, remaining active in the acquisition, production and distribution space and recently announced that it is entering the UK market via a partnership with Altitude Media Group. The company’s successes have run the gamut from critically acclaimed theatrical films such as The Homesman starring Hilary Swank, to two of the biggest Fathom events with horror icon and heavy metal mastermind Rob Zombie’s 3 From Hell last year and Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, the sequel to the 2001 comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back which the company partnered on after coming onboard at script stage.
The studio’s upcoming slate includes: Dennis Dugan’s Love, Weddings & Other Disasters starring Diane Keaton, Jeremy Irons, Maggie Grace, Jesse McCartney, Chandra West, Diego Boneta, Andrew Bachelor, and Veronica Ferres; Jamie Babbit’s The Stand-In with Drew Barrymore in a dual lead role alongside Michael Zegen, Ellie Kemper, T.J. Miller, and Holland Taylor; Josh Duhamel’s directorial debut Buddy Games; the Alicia Silverstone wedding comedy Sister of the Groom; Nicol Paone’s Friendsgiving with Malin Akerman, Christine Taylor, Jane Seymour, Kat Dennings and Chelsea Peretti; John Suits’ Breach starring Bruce Willis; and Twist starring Michael Caine, Lena Headey and Rita Ora.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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