“Josephine,” the psychological thriller starring Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan and newcomer Mason Reeves that won both the audience and jury awards at Sundance, was acquired for domestic distribution by Sumerian Pictures.
The sale was confirmed by Sumerian and was reported to be a competitive seven-figure deal.
“Soft & Quiet” director Beth de Araújo wrote, directed and produced “Josephine,” which tracks an eight-year-old (in a breakout debut from Mason Lily Reeves) who witnesses a brutal attack in Golden Gate Park. Her parents (played by Tatum and Chan) deal with the psychological and legal fallout from the incident as they struggle to help their daughter cope with what she saw.
“I’m pleased to see that Sumerian has emerged as a new distribution company, made up of people who love films and are committed to inviting audiences into the theaters,” Araújo said in a statement.
Sumerian says it has committed to a major theatrical release and awards campaign for “Josephine,” which won both the U.S. Dramatic Competition and Audience Award at Sundance.
Sumerian founder Ash Avildsen and president Rob Williams called “Josephine” “an enthralling, deeply emotional, and powerful film that deserves all the acclaim and accolades it has already received from Sundance. We are so thrilled to be working with Beth de Araújo and the whole team to bring this to audiences with Sumerian Pictures.”
Williams negotiated the deal with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance. Producers include David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Beth de Araújo, Marina Stabile, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Mark H. Rapaport and Crystine Zhang.
Goodfellas is handling international sales. “Josephine” will also play in the main competition at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
