Jesse Peretz’s Sundance Film Festival entry “Juliet, Naked” has sold U.S. distribution rights to Lionsgate and Roadside attractions.
The Nick Hornby novel adaptation, acquired from the Los Angeles Media Fund, stars Rose Byrne and Chris O’Dowd as longtime lovers who get a jolt of excitement after colliding with an obscure rocker (Ethan Hawke) of whom O’Dowd is a devout fan.
“‘Juliet, Naked’ was one of the true buzz titles at Sundance this year, driven by a wonderful, romantic rock and roll sensibility and enormously winning performances,” said Roadside Attractions co-founders Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff.
The pair made the deal with Lionsgate President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Jason Constantine and EVP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Eda Kowan. Rocket Science is handling international sales.
The film was produced by Albert Bergera and Ron Yerxa, Barry Mendel, Judd Apatow and Jeffrey Soros. and executive produced by Simon Horsman, Nick Hornby, Thorsten Schumacher, and Patrick Murray. Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor and Evgenia Peretz are credited as adaptive screenwriters.
Read the logline:
Juliet, Naked tells the story of Annie (Rose Byrne) who is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) – a huge fan of obscure rock musician Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). When the acoustic demo of Tucker’s hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, its release leads to a life-changing encounter with the elusive rocker himself. Based on Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel, Juliet, Naked is a comic account of life’s second chances.