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Exclusive: Indie distributor Brainstorm Media has locked down North American rights to Laroy, a darkly comedic thriller starring John Magaro (First Cow), Steve Zahn (The White Lotus) and Dylan Baker (Happiness) that world premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival and nabbed three awards at the Deauville American Film Festival, including the Grand Prix, Audience Award, and Critics Award.

The film is the first from writer-director Shane Atkinson and is set for release in theaters and on digital in 2024.

Hailing from Next Productions, Laroy follows a down-and-out man who is mistaken for a hired killer, leading him to play a dangerous game with dire consequences. Magaro leads the ensemble as Ray, who, after discovering his wife is cheating on him, decides to kill himself. He buys a gun, drives to the seedy motel where she and her lover are entangled, and is about to do the deed — but before he can pull the trigger,...

Lotus Entertainment and Roar have boarded “French Touch,” a music-filled coming-of-age movie set in New York, starring French singer-songwriter David Hallyday and his real-life daughter Emma Smet.

The film will be directed by Shirley Monsarrat, who most recently helmed season 7 of the French teen hit series “Skam.” Jay Froberg at Roar and Jeremie Guiraud at Lotus Entertainment are producing, alongside Otto Eckstein, who also penned the original screenplay.

“French Touch” takes place in 2007 in Brooklyn, and follows Elle Leclerq (Smet) who clashes with her father Matthieu (Hallyday), a Parisian DJ and 70’s disco icon, as she discovers French house music and experiences an epic summer of musical exploration, parties and romance.

“We are thrilled to have David and Emma play father and daughter in ‘French Touch,'” said Eckstein. “Music is essential to the film and is a world David and Emma are certainly familiar with,” added the writer-producer. Eckstein...

Exclusive: Grindstone Entertainment has acquired North American rights to animated fantasy movie Mosley, whose voice cast includes Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Temuera Morrison (Star Wars) and Rhys Darby (Jumanji).

Written and directed by Kirby Atkins, the film became the first ever New Zealand-China animated co-production. It had its world premiere at last year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Pic follows a species of creatures known as “thoriphants” who rebel against their life of servitude and embark on a treacherous journey to find the fabled city of Uprights.

Grindstone’s Stan Wertlieb and Ryan Black brokered the deal with Huhu Studios, Jack Sheehan, and Jeremie Guiraud at Lotus Entertainment. The firm, which has a long-standing partnership with Lionsgate in North America, is planning to release the film later this year.

Mosley had already pre-sold it to Australia/New Zealand (Rialto), C.

Lotus Entertainment has unveiled the first teaser-trailer for Kirby Atkins’ “Mosley,” an animated family film from Huhu Studios in New Zealand and China Film Animation, the first co-production between the two countries.

Lotus Entertainment, which is representing “Mosley” in international markets, will be premiering the film at the European Film Market in Berlin on Feb. 7.

Lotus has already pre-sold it to Australia/New Zealand (Rialto), C.I.S. (Top Film Distribution), China (China Film Group), Czech Republic/Slovakia (Fenix Distribution), Bulgaria, Ex-Yugoslavia and Romania (Programs 4 Media Limited), Israel (Five Stars), Middle East (Eagle Films), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), South Africa (Filmfinity) and Vietnam (Ram Indo).

“Mosley” follows the eponymous hero and his family of four-legged “Thoriphants,” intelligent creatures with the ability to speak like humans but that have been cursed to live a life of servitude. In an attempt to free his family, Mosley embarks on a perilous journey to find the mythical land of Kinesareth.