Aubrey Plaza Thriller ‘Emily the Criminal’ Acquired by Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment

Film is slated for an exclusive theatrical release this year

Emily the Criminal Aubrey Plaza
Courtesy of Sundance Institute

After a bidding war, Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment have acquired the North American rights to the Aubrey Plaza-starring thriller “Emily the Criminal,” according to an insider with knowledge of the deal.

The film, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, is slated for an exclusive theatrical release later this year. In a unique move, Redbox has joined the partnership for home entertainment distribution.

John Patton Ford directed the film in his feature directorial debut and wrote the script. Along with starring in the title role, Plaza produced the film with Tyler Davidson and Drew Syke. Plaza stars opposite Theo Rossi as well as Megalyn Echikunwoke and Gina Gershon.

“Emily the Criminal” follows Emily (Plaza) who is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate for income, she takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Rossi). Faced with a series of dead-end job interviews, Emily soon finds herself seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills of black-market capitalism, and increasingly interested in her mentor Youcef. Together, they hatch a plan to bring their business to the next level in Los Angeles.

Peter Jarowey negotiated the deal on behalf of Vertical Entertainment, Angel An negotiated the deal on behalf of Roadside Attractions, Marc Danon negotiated on behalf of home entertainment rights for Redbox Entertainment and CAA Media Finance, Verve Ventures, and ICM Partners negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.

Deadline first reported the news.

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