Sony to Rock The Kasbah

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) has struck a major deal with QED International for the UK and major territories on Bill Murray comedy Rock The Kasbah.

SPWA has also picked up rights for Latin America, Spain, Eastern Europe and several other markets.

Barry Levinson will start production in Morocco at the end of the month and US distributor Open Road has earmarked a 2015 release.

Leem Lubany of Cannes 2013 UCR selection Omar has joined Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Scott Caan and Zooey Deschanel on the cast.

Lubany will play Salima, a young Pashtun singer who is discovered by Murray’s washed-out rock manager and entered into Afghanistan’s version of American Idol. In the film she will sing four songs by Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens).

QED’s Bill Block produces with Venture Forth’s Jacob Pechenik, Shangri-La Entertainment’s Steve Bing, screenwriter Mitch Glazer and Ethan Smith.

Brian Grazer and Tom Freston are executive producers.

SPWA’s Chan Phung, Michael Helfand and Jon Freedberg brokered the rights deals with QED’s John Friedberg.