EXCLUSIVE: Distributors have come aboard Michael Angelo Covino’s sex comedy Splitsville which cost in the $15m range and debuts tonight (May 19) in Cannes Premiere and stars Covino alongside producing partner Kyle Marvin, Dakota Johnson, and Adria Arjona.
Neon International has closed deals for France (Metropolitan), Benelux (The Searchers), Latin America (Sun), and Portugal (Pris Audiovisuais). Neon has set an August 22 US release on the story of a man who wreaks havoc when he seeks support from friends in an open marriage after his wife asks for a divorce.
Splitsville marks a return to the Croisette for Covino and Marvin after The Climb debuted in Un Certain Regard in 2019, which is when the filmmaking and acting pair launched their independently owned New York production company Watch This Ready with former Verve agent Emily Korteweg. They are stepping up, with at least two new projects already in place with partners.
“We want to make things that are timeless and wildly entertaining and artfully commercial. There’s a lot up our sleeve,” said Covino, who says Cannes is about “pure cinema” and recalls visiting as a fan simply to watch films. “I didn’t want to wait a year and a half until something came out at the IFC Center.”
Watch This Ready developed Splitsville with backing from Topic, with whom they partnered on The Climb. Neon read the script early and came on board to co-finance with Topic. Production took place over 24 days from September to October 2024 in Montreal doubling for New York, with the help of Canadian incentives. Johnson’s TeaTime Pictures is co-producer.
”Splitsville is a perfect example of a beautiful formula,” said Covino. “We had strategic partners in advance and marketing and distribution from day one, which is very different from making a film in a vacuum and then going to market.”
Covino met Marvin 15 years ago and they produced commercials before moving into features like 2016 Tribeca entry Kicks, and SXSW selection Hunter Gatherer. Marvin, who directed the 2023 sports comedy 80 For Brady released by Paramount, said: “We’re trying to be ambitious, whether that’s in size or the substance of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The Watch This Ready partners feel optimistic about independent filmmaking, and like everyone in Cannes, they are trying to avoid the distractions of Donald Trump’s tariffs declarations.
“The industry went through five very challenging years on a macro level with a lot of uncertainty,” said Korteweg. “Right now the focus needs to be on recalibrating to a very healthy industry, incentivising versus penalising, and that is done by way of collaborating across borders, and by borders, I mean, across states and across countries.”
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