Screen Media Films

Variety: Screen Media Nabs ‘The Sonata,’ Thriller With Rutger Hauer (EXCLUSIVE)

Screen Media has picked up all North American rights to “The Sonata,” a thriller that features one of the late actor Rutger Hauer’s final film roles.

“The Sonata” centers on young violinist Rose (Freya Tingley) who inherits an old mansion after the death of her composer father (Hauer). After moving in, she discovers that his final work was a mysterious musical score with strange symbols that unlock keys to her father’s shadowy past, unleashing a horror beyond imagination. Screen Media is planning a theatrical and VOD release in early 2020.

The film has already sold key foreign territories and played as part of Lincoln Center’s “Scary Movies” summer series and at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival. “The Sonata” was co-written and directed by Andrew Desmond, marking his first time behind the camera for a feature-length production. “The Sonata” was co-written by Arthur Morin.

Tingley, best known for her work on “Hemlock Grove,” appears opposite Simon Abkarian (“Casino Royale”). Hauer, whose credits include “Blade Runner” and “Nighthawks,” died in July at the age of 75.

The film is produced by Laurent Fumeron, Rodolphe Sanzé and Daniel Goroshko from The Project Film Club; Julien Loeffler, Fabrice Smadja and James Kermack from Featuristic Films; Sergey Selyanov from CTB Film Company; and Aija Berzina and Alise Gelze from Tasse Film.

Screen Media has been active on the acquisitions front. In recent months, it nabbed North American rights to John Turturro’s “The Jesus Rolls,” a spin-off of “The Big Lebowski,” as well as Charlie Lightening and Gavin Fitzgerald’s feature documentary “Liam Gallagher: As It Was” and Alec Baldwin’s crime thriller “Crown Vic.”

Seth Needle, senior VP of worldwide acquisitions at Screen Media, negotiated the deal with Moritz Hemminger at ARRI Media on behalf of the producers. ARRI Media is handling international sales for the film.

Posted: 6th Sep 2019

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