Pan-European powerhouse StudioCanal is reporting an “incredible response” to Serena, its $25 million thriller/romance starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.
The film’s director Susanne Bier made a whistlestop trip to Berlin at the weekend to meet leading foreign buyers. “She (Bier) was very convincing in selling a modern Gone With The Wind and that is really what we are going for, a very passionate, epic-scale love story,” commented Harold Van Lier, Executive Vice President International Distribution.
On the back of Bier’s visit and the new draft of script, deals have now been closed with eOne (Canada) and Nordisk (Scandinavia).
StudioCanal, which is releasing the film itself in France, Germany and the UK, is closing in on several other major deals with territories including Spain and Germany and expects to close “a large majority of the available world” here in Berlin.
Horror sequel The Last Exorcism 2 sold to eOne for Benelux and to Ascot Elite for Germany and West for Russia.
Meanwhile, The Dinosaur Project has gone to Scandinavia (Svensk) and Greece (Village Roadshow.) The world is sold out on the film with the exception of Spain and North America (which is under discussion).
More deals are also expected to be closed shortly on the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis.
Buyers are also swarming around new Michel Gondry film Mood Indigo, due to shoot in April. Omar Sy (Untouchable) has now joined the cast alongside Audrey Tautou, Romain Duris and Lea Seydoux.
“Four years ago, we were 90% French-speaking. Now, our line-up is 80% English-language films geared for major international theatrical releases,” notes Van Lier.
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