Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the North American rights to “Frankie,” the latest film from director Ira Sachs starring Isabelle Huppert that will make its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the company announced Tuesday.
The film is playing In Competition at the festival, and Sony Pictures Classics has also acquired the rights to release the film in Eastern Europe (including CIS), Scandinavia, the Middle East, South Africa, Spain, India and for worldwide airlines.
“Frankie” stars Huppert alongside Marisa Tomei, Greg Kinnear and Brendan Gleeson. It’s a story about three generations of a European family who come together in the fabled town of Sintra, Portugal, for one last vacation before the family matriarch faces the next, and last, chapter of her life. Over the course of one crisp October day, the fairy tale setting brings about everyone’s most romantic impulses, revealing cracks between them, as well as unexpected depth of feeling.
Sachs wrote “Frankie” with Mauricio Zaccharias. The film is produced by Saïd Ben Saïd of SBS Productions and Michel Merkt, co-produced by Luís Urbano, Diana Elbaum and Anne Berger, and executive produced by Kateryna Merkt, Kevin Chneiweiss and Lucas Joaquin.
“Frankie” is the third film in which they’ve partnered with Sachs, following “Married Life” and “Love is Strange,” and also the third collaboration with producer Ben Saïd, following “Elle” and “Carnage.”
“The experience and sensibilities of the team at SPC makes it a wonderful match for ‘Frankie.’ I am so pleased their passion for this film means it has now the ability to be seen by audiences in North America and many other countries,” Saïd said in a statement.
“Ira Sachs once again proves himself to be a major American director with ‘Frankie.’ We are thrilled to be back together with Ira, producer Ben Saïd, and the superb cast,” Sony Pictures Classics said in a statement.
The deal was negotiated directly between Saïd Ben Saïd and Sony Pictures Classics.
News of the deal was first reported by Deadline.