Cinema Management Group (CMG) has licensed 4 Cats Pictures’ Spanish box office hit Buffalo Kids to ARP Selection in France.

The animation co-directed by Jesus Garcia Galocha and Pedro Solis opened in Spain on August 14 through Warner Bros. It shot up the charts to rank as the second-highest Spanish film of the year to date on $5.4m and over 775,000 admissions and counting.

Buffalo Kids premiered in the inaugural non-competitive Annecy Presents strand in June and follows two Irish orphans who arrive in New York City by ocean liner in 1886. Gemma Arterton, Alisha Weir, Stephen Graham, and Sean Bean lead the voice cast. Jordi Gasull produced and co-wrote the screenplay with Javier Lopez Barreira (Mummies).

Warner Bros will release the family feature in the UK on October 11, and in Italy on October 31.

Edward Noeltner’s CMG has closed deals with multiple buyers includes Nos in Portugal, The Film Group in Greece, Best Film in Poland, Bohemia for Czech Republic and Slovakia, Follow Art Distribution in Romania, KSN in Bulgaria, MCF in former Yugoslavia, Front Row for the Middle East, Filmhouse in Israel and Nathan Studios for the Philippines. 

Alongside 4 Cats Pictures and Core Animation, Buffalo Kids production partners include Atresmedia Cine, Anangu Group and Mogambo Entertainment. 4 Cats Pictures’ previous film, Mummies, earned $54m worldwide. 

“After the film’s successful release in Spain, we couldn’t be happier than to be working with ARP Selection’s Michele Halberstadt, Laurent Petin and Quentin Leiser”, said Noeltner.

ARP Selection’s Halberstadt added, “Buffalo Kids is a true delight with fun, action and humour both for the kids and adults. It also has a wonderful message of inclusion of orphans and handicapped children which will surely resonate with our French audience who have embraced so many live action films with such underlying themes.”

Over the years ARP Selection has acquired animation titles such as Tehran Taboo, Ozzy, Luis And The Aliens, and Red Shoes & The 7 Dwarfs.

Topics