Liddell Entertainment has stumped up a $4m MG for US rights to the thriller Killer Joe starring Matthew Maconaughey and Emile Hirsch following its weekend North American premiere in Toronto.

William Friedkin directed the story of a hitman played by McConaughey who is hired to kill a desperate man’s mother for the life insurance pay-out.

Liddell Entertainment, active in Sundance and making its first big play here in Toronto, negotiated with CAA and producer and international sales agent Nicolas Chartier of Voltage Pictures. Chartier produced with Scott Einbinder and CAA helped arrange financing. Killer Joe received its world premiere in Venice.

Magnet announced on Tuesday afternoon it had closed its second on-site deal following Goon, taking world rights on Bobcat Goldthwait’s killing spree comedy God Bless America.

Recently promoted svp of acquisitions Dori Begley and head of legal and business affairs Chris Matson brokered the deal with Cassian Elwes and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content. Magnolia International’s Laird Adamson is handling international sales.

Joel Murray and Tara Lynn Barr star in the Darko Entertainment production written and directed by Goldthwait. Sean McKittrick and Jeff Culotta produced. The film will go through Magnolia’s Ultra VOD programme.

Meanwhile IFC is getting close on SND’s Alexandre Courtes’ horror film The Incident, which Paradigm represents for North America. The film premiered in Midnight Madness on Monday and was clearly too intense for two audience members who fainted towards the end of the show.

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