Magnolia Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Drinking Buddies,” Joe Swanberg’s comedy starring Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson that premiered at the South by Southwest film festival.
Wilde and Johnson star as Kate and Luke, friends that work at a craft brewery and struggle to suppress romantic interest in one another because they are both in relationships. A weekend trip that pairs the two of them alone changes everything.
Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston also star in the film, which Alicia Van Couvering, Andrea Roa, Paul M. Bernon, Sam Slater and Swanberg produced.
"Joe Swanberg has been evolving steadily as a filmmaker, and with ‘Drinking Buddies,’ he’s delivered his best work yet – a truly funny, smart and insightful film about real adult relationships” Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles said in a statement. "Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson and the rest of the cast also deliver some of the best work of their careers. We're raising an imperial pint in celebration.”
Magnolia’s Dori Begley and Peter Van Steemburg made the deal with CAA, which represented the filmmakers and producers. The distribution company, owned by Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner, will release the film in theaters later this year.
