Spanish indie Avalon Distribution has picked up Takashi Miike’s samurai tale 13 Assassinsand Wim Wenders’ 3D dance film Pina from HanWay Films for release in Spain.

“We are planning an innovative promotion campaign for 13 Assassins, possibly having 13 real assassins at the film’s premeire,” joked Enrique Costa, head of distribution at Avalon.

13 Assassins is based on the 1963 film of the same name and takes place in Japan in 1844 as a samurai assembles a team to kill the brother of a sadistic shogun. Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Yusuke Iseya star.

The film has already sold to more than 20 territories off the back of its premieres at Venice and Toronto last year, including a deal with Magnolia Pictures’ genre label Magnet for the US.

Pina about the late legendary choreographer Pina Bausch has also sold well, including to Artificial Eye for release in the UK this month.

Avalon has also picked up Andrew Rossi’s Sundance hit documentary Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times from Ealing Studios International.

In separate news, indie distriubtion company A Contracorriente Films, run by Adolfo Blanco, former head of film at Vertice 360, has picked up Cary Fukanaga’s period drama Jane Eyre, starring Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell and Mia Wasikowska for distribution in Spain.

Produced by BBC Films, Jane Eyre has already taken nearly $4m in the US through Focus Features and will be released in Spain in the autumn.

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