Koch acquires Zach Braff comedy Wish I Was Here for UK

Koch Media has secured a hat-trick of acquisitions for UK distribution, following thsi month’s EFM in Berlin, including Zac Braff comedy drama Wish I Was Here, Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton rom com And So It Goes…, and zombie comedy Life After Beth, headed by rising stars Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza.

Koch will release all three titles in 2014.

Marking Zac Braff’s first film behind the camera since Garden State in 2004, Kickstarter-funded Wish I Was Here tells the story of a man in his 30s whose life has become directionless, but is forced to change drastically on learning of his father’s terminal cancer. Braff takes the lead role alongside Kate Hudson, Jim Parsons, Ashley Greene and Mandy Patinkin.

Wish I Was Here is produced by Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg for Double Feature Films, with international sales handled by Wild Bunch.

And So It Goes…, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Douglas and Keaton, is a romantic comedy about a self-centred businessman who learns he has a granddaughter by his estranged son and is left to look after her with a little help from his neighbour.

The film was financed by Mark Damon’s Foresight Unlimited, who produces alongside Reiner and Alan Greisman. Koch acquired UK rights from Foresight, who is handling worldwide distribution rights to the film. A saturation release is planned for later this year.

Life After Beth stars DeHaan as a man who gets a second chance with his late girlfriend (Plaza) after returns from the dead as a zombie.

Supporting cast includes John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon and Anna Kendrick. XYZ handles international sales.

The acquisitions bolster Koch’s slate of upcoming features, which includes feel-good drama Hector and the Search For Happiness, starring Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike; and Bill, a comedy about Shakespeare starring the cast of BBC TV’s Horrible Histories.

Craig McNicol, Koch’s MD for Northern Europe), said: “We will soon be celebrating our one year milestone as a theatrical distributor and take pride in the fantastic results we have achieved so far.

“We have made huge progress in a short space of time, and with the new buys supporting strong existing product we feel this year will prove even more fruitful; helping drive increasing recognition of the Koch brand within the industry and to cinemagoers.”

Koch releases since its move into theatrical distribution have included Arbitrage, Parkland, Thanks for Sharing and The Frozen Ground.