Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group (SPWAG) has paid low seven figures for US rights to Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, the first international production fully financed by StudioCanal.

The film premiered in Toronto last month and will open in spring 2010. While a theatrical release would appear to be a good fit for Bob Berney and Bill Pohlad’s Apparition under its distribution arrangement with SPWAG, sources said the strategy had not been finalised. SPWAG has also partnered with Samuel Goldwyn Films in the past.

StudioCanal will distribute the film directly in France and in the UK and Germany through its wholly owned affiliates Optimum Releasing and Kinowelt.

Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried star in the thriller about a doctor who deploys a young woman to discover whether her husband is having an affair. Erin Cressida Wilson wrote the screenplay and Montecito Pictures’ Ivan Reitman, Joe Medjuck and Jeffrey Clifford produced.

Michael Helfand and Scott Shooman negotiated the deal for SPWAG with Harold Van Lier and Anna Marsh on behalf of StudioCanal and the film-makers. 

“The team on this film has been incredible from the get-go – with Atom’s extraordinary leadership and vision behind the camera, Erin’s incredible script, our great partners and friends at StudioCanal who led the charge in taking this film to the world, and with our tremendous cast and crew,” Reitman and Pollock said. “We are thrilled that Sony has recognised Chloe’s potential and will be bringing the film to US audiences.”

“Chloe was one of those special projects that looked good on paper and fulfilled its promise on the big screen thanks to all involved and Atom’s great work,” Van Lier said. “This really has been a huge title for us since we launched sales in Berlin and we were able to see a full return on our investment via pre-sales, which is a huge win in today’s environment. Now we have another great reason to celebrate.”

StudioCanal previously concluded sales with E1 in Canada, Eagle in Italy, Pony Canyon in Japan, Nordisk in Scandinavia, Mars in South Korea, SPI in Eastern Europe, Gussi in Mexico, Playarte in Brazil, Nu Metro in South Africa, Odeon in Greece, Gulf in The Middle East, and Lusomundo in Portugal. A Spanish deal is believed to be imminent.

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