Sony Pictures Classics has acquired Toronto premiere The Penguin Lessons starring Steve Coogan for North America, the Middle East, Turkey, Asia, India, Japan, and South Korea.
Peter Cattaneo directed the adaptation of Tom Michell’s 2016 memoir of the same name from a screenplay by Jeff Pope, who worked with Coogan on prior Toronto International Film Festival selections The Lost King and Philomena, as well as Stan & Ollie.
Coogan and Jonathan Pryce star in the story about a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. There, he found a divided nation and a class of unteachable students, only for everything to change when he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach.
Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson, and Alfonsina Carrocio round out the cast.
42’s Ben Pugh produced The Penguin Lessons alongside Rory Aitken, Nostromo’s Adrián Guerra and Andy Noble, and Robert Walak. Intake Films and Rolling Dice financed with Aperture Media Partners.
Intake Films’ Joshua Horsfield and Nia Vazirani for Rolling Dice served as executive producers, alongside Pope, Josh Varney, Tom Michell, and Coogan.
Sony Pictures Classics negotiated the deal with CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers. Rocket Science represents international rights, and Lionsgate will distribute in the UK.
The distributor did not advise on release dates at time of writing.
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