Kaleidoscope sees plenty in Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing

UK outfit Kaleidoscope Film Distribution has acquired worldwide sales rights (excluding North America) and UK distribution rights to Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing from Bellwether Pictures, Whedon and Kai Cole’s ‘micro-studio’.

Whedon’s contemporary-set black and white retelling of Shakespeare’s classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance stars Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof. The supporting cast includes Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Fran Kranz and Reed Diamond.

The deal was negotiated by Kaleidoscope’s Spencer Pollard and Caroline Stern with CAA. Lionsgate picked up US rights in Toronto, where the film had its world premiere.

Whedon, who shot the film in 12 days at his home in Santa Monica, said of his follow-up film to box office sensation The Avengers: “The text is to me a deconstruction of the idea of love, which is ironic, since the entire production is a love letter – to the text, to the cast, even to the house it’s shot in.”

The film will be privately screened at AFM, immediately after an invite-only ‘Venetian Masked Ball’ reception.

Also on Kaleidoscope’s slate are revenge thriller The Seasoning House from director Paul Hyett, nature doc The Penguin Kings 3D, narrated by David Attenborough for UK and Tim Allen for US, and psychological thriller, Mine Games, starring Brianna Evigan.