EXCLUSIVE: In a lucrative deal, Lionsgate has landed domestic distribution rights to Guy Ritchie’s (Sherlock Holmes) next project, which remains untitled, as principal photography wraps in Spain this week.
Lionsgate had previously picked up domestic rights to Ritchie’s upcoming World War II movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
The new action film, whose plot is being kept under wraps, sees Ritchie reteaming with Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home), who played the lead role in Ritchie’s recent war movie The Covenant, as well as Henry Cavill (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) and Eiza González (Baby Driver), both of whom star in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Ritchie produces the new movie alongside longtime producing partner Ivan Atkinson (The Covenant) and Black Bear’s John Friedberg (The Covenant); Black Bear handled worldwide sales on the film.
Joining the cast are veteran Spanish actor Carlos Bardem, known for movies including Assassin’s Creed and Goya’s Ghosts, and veteran U.S. actor Fisher Stevens, who most recently starred in HBO’s Succession and directed Netflix docuseries Beckham. The movie has a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
As we revealed last week, Lionsgate recently picked up Pete Davidson TIFF project The Home. At a time when sizeable domestic buyers are in shorter supply, the indie major remains an active buyer (and seller) and so a key partner for domestic and international producers and sellers.
Gyllenhaal upcoming projects include Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent from David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams, and Amazon Studios’ reimagining of the 1989 hit Road House, directed by Doug Liman.
Cavill will soon be seen in Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Argylle and is executive-producing the Warhammer 40,000 franchise across all Amazon Studios productions. González will next be seen in David Benioff and D.B Weiss’s series Three Body Problem” for Netflix.
“We are thrilled to once again be partnering with the entire Lionsgate team, whose passion and ambition for the film are very clear,” said Guy Ritchie. “We are excited to extend and build on our relationship with Joe, Adam, Nathan, and Charlotte to bring the film to audiences across the US.”
“We are very lucky to be working again with Guy, whose filmmaking transcends the action genre with its signature wit and irreverence. Combined with the unparalleled talents of Jake, Henry, and Eiza, this fast-paced, original action film promises to thrill, surprise, and delight,” commented Charlotte Koh, EVP, Lionsgate Acquisitions and Co-Productions.
“We are delighted to be building on our relationship with Lionsgate, partnering with them on another incredible Guy Ritchie movie, following The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Having a powerhouse independent distributor in the US, combined with a wide array of the best in-class theatrical distributors from around the world, has allowed us to deliver a highly commercial film to the marketplace in what has been a very difficult period on our industry, and is a real testament to the power of independent distribution, which has never been more essential than this year,” added producer John Friedberg from Black Bear.
Black Bear’s AFM slate will include high school horror movie Whistle, which we revealed last week, Sydney Sweeney-starring religious horror film Immaculate; Relay from director David Mackenzie, starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James; the sci-fi thriller Shell, starring Elizabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, and Kaia Gerber; and the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey, starring Theo James and produced by James Wan.
