Alliance Films pounces on Dead Man Down, Zero Dark Thirty

The company has acquired UK, Canadian and Spanish rights to Dead Man Down, the $30m romantic thriller IM Global is selling internationally and co-finances with WWE Studios.

Niels Arden Oplev of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo fame is shooting the story of a criminal lieutenant seduced by a vengeful woman. Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper and Terrence Howard star and Neal H Moritz’s Original Film produces with screenwriter JH Wyman of Frequency Films.

Alliance, whose leadership team comprises chairman Victor Loewy, president Charles Layton, president of worldwide distribution Xavier Marchand and CFO Alison Cornwell, has also struck a deal with Panorama Media to acquire Canadian distribution rights to Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures bankrolled the Osama Bin Laden thriller and earlier this year invested in the production, financing and sales venture Panorama, which is handling sales.

Zero Dark Thirty recounts the story of the sensational Navy SEAL Team 6 operation last year that resulted in the death of the Al-Qaeda godfather. Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong, Edgar Ramirez and Jessica Chastain star and Sony anticipates a US release later this year.