Vertical Entertainment has acquired the U.S. rights to “Atropia,” the winner of this year’s Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize for dramatic features, for a release this December.
Directed by Hailey Gates, the film stars Alia Shawkat as an aspiring actress at a military role-playing facility in the California desert who falls in love with a soldier, played by Callum Turner, who is cast as an insurgent. Their burgeoning romance threatens to derail the military exercises at Atropia, a facility described in the synopsis as “an invented land just close enough to Los Angeles for Hollywood set builders to create the fake villages, but far enough away that the performers who live on-site are not exactly flourishing in their acting careers.”
Originally conceived as a documentary on California military training facilities, Gates was convinced to turn the project into a scripted satire by Luca Guadagnino, who is a producer on the film.
“I’m absolutely chomping at the bit for people to see this movie! I couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s found a home with Vertical, a company that wants to take bold, creative swings when it comes to releasing independent films. I’m so excited that audiences will get the chance to experience it on the big screen,” Gates said in a Thursday statement.
“Hailey has created an impressive film debut featuring a fantastic cast led by Alia and Callum. ‘Atropia’ is a unique story set in a rarely seen world from an exciting new filmmaker. Vertical is thrilled to be releasing this biting satire later this year,” Vertical partner Peter Jarowey added.
Producers include Guadagnino, Naima Abed and Emilie Georges (Paradise City), Lana Kim and Jett Steiger (Ways & Means). Executive producers are Gates, Shawkat, Mike Spreter, Scott McGehee, David Siegel and KC Wallace.
The deal was negotiated by Jarowey and SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi on behalf of Vertical and by UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales are represented by Paradise City Sales.
“Atropia” comes to theaters this December.
