EXCLUSIVE: Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired the US distribution rights to The Thing With Feathers. A wide theatrical release is planned for October 31 for the debut narrative film by Dylan Southern. Pic was one of the high profile world premieres at Sundance in January, with Benedict Cumberbatch starring alongside Richard Boxall and Henry Boxall. The film subsequently had its international premiere at Berlin.
While the acquisition marketplace was sluggish during the week or so that Sundance unfolded in Park City, deals for the most promising films with stars have been trickling in steadily. That might well be the new normal for Toronto, Sundance and Cannes. The Thing With Feathers becomes the latest example that validates Sundance as still a good launch pad for indie fare, though sellers and buyers have to be patient, and the numbers fall as time goes on.
An adaptation of the Max Porter novella Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, the drama revolves around a widower (Cumberbatch) who is left to raise two young sons after the unexpected death of his wife. The man’s life is unraveling because of the grief that takes the form of an unhinged and unwanted houseguest – a crow – which taunts him from the shadows.
“Dylan Southern has crafted something truly unique—an emotional gut punch wrapped in a dark, fantastical nightmare,” said Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Briarcliff Entertainment. “With its bold visual storytelling and powerhouse performances, The Thing With Feathers is an unforgettable exploration of grief, madness, and transformation. We’re thrilled to bring this vision to audiences.”
The film is produced by Andrea Cornwell of Lobo Films (Love Lies Bleeding), and Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland of SunnyMarch Productions (We Live in Time, The Mauritanian), with backing from Film4 and the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), in association with Align, Uncommon Creative Studio, mk2 Films, and Rank and File, co-produced with Film I Vast and Filmgate Films.
In adapting the critically acclaimed book, Southern sought to preserve its poetic, fragmented, tonally adventurous storytelling, translating it to the screen through a heightened visual style that blends naturalism with the fantastic. In doing so he has created a film that playfully pushes the envelope – combining elements of psychological horror with heartrending emotional drama. The result is a hauntingly immersive and singular experience.
UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal with mk2 Films who also handled international sales on behalf of the filmmakers.
