Beta Cinema has closed further presales for “The Offing,” which will star Helena Bonham Carter, and will be directed by Jessica Hobbs, an Emmy Award-winner for “The Crown.”
New deals include Spain (Beta Fiction), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Switzerland (Pathé Films), former Yugoslavia (Discovery) and the Middle East (Front Row). CineSky Pictures has picked up worldwide airline rights. A multi-territory deal with Curzon, Cineart and Madman for U.K./Ireland, Benelux and Australia/New Zealand was revealed in April.
“The Offing,” which is based on the novel by Benjamin Myers, is set on the northeast English coast shortly after World War II. It tells the story of shy, 16-year-old Robert, and the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, bohemian recluse Dulcie Piper, played by Bonham Carter, and their unlikely friendship.
Bonham Carter has been nominated for two Academy Awards for her roles in “The Wings of a Dove” and “The King’s Speech.”
Hobbs helmed three seasons of “The Crown,” and was also executive producer on Season 5. She is currently directing HBO’s “The Regime” (formerly known as “The Palace”), alongside Stephen Frears, and starring Kate Winslet.
“The Offing” is written by Amy Roberts, and is produced by Charlotte Walls and Emily Barttelot at Catalyst Global Media, who developed the film with support from Beta Cinema. The movie is in preproduction.
Tassilo Hallbauer, head of sales and acquisitions at Beta Cinema, said: “It’s wonderful to hear that our buyers are just as impressed by the nuanced screenplay as we are and enjoyed the many laugh-out-loud moments that seem to be tailor-made for Helena Bonham Carter. With the highly successful novel and Jessica Hobbs directing off the back of working with the caliber of actors such as Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime,’ the prospects for theatrical releases around the world are strong.”
Bonham Carter is represented by Conway van Gelder Grant. Hobbs is represented by Casarotto Ramsay and Associates and CAA.
