Newly established indie distributor Row K Entertainment has acquired the U.S. rights to “Poetic License,” a comedy from debuting director Maude Apatow that premiered at TIFF earlier this month.
The film stars Apatow’s mother, Leslie Mann, as Liz, a former therapist and soon-to-be empty nester, whose family relocates to a new town for her husband’s job – a place where she doesn’t know a soul. Her quiet attempt to settle in takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the point of tension between two inseparable best friends and college seniors, Sam (Cooper Hoffman) and Ari (Andrew Barth Feldman).
As their fierce competition for her attention threatens to upend their lives, Liz is pulled into a tangle of longing, self-discovery and the intoxicating thrill of being truly seen – forcing her to confront the life she’s built and the one she still craves.
“Poetic License” is Row K’s fourth acquisition since its launch in August, joining Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire”, Tom Dean and Mac Eldridge’s “Charlie Harper” and “Cliffhanger,” a reimagining of the 1993 classic directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
“What struck us about ‘Poetic License’ is the balance between its laugh-out-loud comedy and its very human observations about growing up – at any age,” Megan Colligan, president of Row K, said. “Maude Apatow has announced herself as a filmmaker with a truly distinctive voice, and the energy in that Toronto screening confirmed how much audiences are ready for films like this. It’s a perfect fit for Row K.”
Producers include Judd Apatow and Josh Church for Apatow Productions; Benjamin Hung and Thalia Daniel for August Night (formerly Levantine Films); Maude Apatow and Olivia Rosenbloom for Jewelbox Pictures; and Will Greenfield. Executive producers include Jamal Daniel, Michelle Upton, Renee Witt, Harrison Kreiss and Jay Cassidy.
The acquisition was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by WME Independent, which is representing global sales rights.
