K5 takes Tom Harper's War Book; expands UK presence

K5 International has snapped up international rights to Tom Harper’s thriller War Book, set to receive its world premiere at the London Film Festival on Oct 13.

The film, written by Jack Thorne (How I Live Now, A Long Way Down), centres on a war game amongst a group of government officials that reaches boiling point when their hypothetical global crisis escalates and the fragility of everyday life and those who govern it is brutally exposed.

The ensemble cast includes Sophie Okonedo, Phoebe Fox, Ben Chaplin, Anthony Sher, Kerry Fox and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.

Producers are Lauren Dark at Sixteen Films, and Mike Brett and Steve Jamison’s Archer’s Mark, in association with Ivana MacKinnon’s Stray Bear Films.

The acquisition comes as K5 looks to boost its presence in the UK. Kathrin Schöftenhuber is to relocate from the company’s Munich HQ as part of K5’s push into more UK-based projects.

Schöftenhuber, a key member of K5’s acquisitions team, will aim to help broaden the production, finance and sales outfit’s connections within the UK production sector and to secure more British-made product. She joins K5’s UK-based partner and head of sales, Carl Clifton.

K5’s Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur said of the move: “Having Kathrin in London, alongside Carl, is all about connecting us earlier with the growing number of really exciting British talent and product.”