STX Entertainment has acquired Florian Zeller’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning The Father for the UK and Ireland, Benelux, Italy, Scandinavia and Iceland from London-based Embankment Films.
The Father star Anthony Hopkins has joined the cast in a supporting role, with newcomer Zen McGrath on board with Hugh Jackman, Vanessa Kirby and Laura Dern.
The film does not feature the same characters or story as The Father.
The Son centres on a man whose busy life with his partner and baby is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife turns up with their teenage son. It has now wrapped after a shoot in New York.
Further new deals on the film include to Canada (Elevation), France (Orange), Germany (Leonine), Switzerland (Ascot), Spain, Latin America and Portugal (Sun), CIS (Exponenta), Japan (Kino), Australia and New Zealand (Transmission), airlines (Echo Lake), Greece (Spentzos), South Africa (Empire), Israel (United King), Middle East (Front Row) and South Korea (Green Narae).
Written by Zeller and Christopher Hampton, the film is the latest adaptation of one of Zeller’s stage plays, of the same name. The pair previously adapted Zeller’s play The Father, which won two awards at the 2021 Oscars - best actor for Hopkins and best adapted screenplay for Zeller and Hampton.
Sony Pictures Classics was announced earlier this year as having acquired rights for territories including the US and China.
Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Joanna Laurie of the UK’s See-Saw Films are producing, alongside Christophe Spadone and Zeller. It is backed by Film4 and Ingenious Media.
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