SABAN FILMS TAKES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO KEANU REEVES-CRIME THRILLER “SIBERIA”
CANNES (May 11, 2018) – Film acquisition and distribution company, Saban Films has acquired North American rights to Matthew Ross’s Siberia, starring Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, John Wick) and Ana Ularu (Inferno, Emerald City) with supporting performances from Golden Globe Nominee Molly Ringwald (“Riverdale”, Jem and the Holograms) and Pasha Lychnikoff (Ray Donovan, Shameless). The romantic crime-thriller was produced by Stephen Hamel (Passengers) and Reeves of Company Films, Gabriela Bacher of Summerstorm Entertainment/Film House Germany, Dave Hansen and Braden Aftergood.
Penned by Scott B. Smith from a story by Hamel and Smith, Siberia follows Lucas Hill (Reeves), an American diamond trader who sells blue diamonds of dubious origin to buyers in Russia. As the deal quickly begins to disintegrate, he falls into an obsessive relationship with a Russian cafe owner (Ularu) in a small Siberian town while colliding with the treacherous world of the diamond trade.
“Siberia is a fresh departure from your average love story, balancing the high-wire act of being a thriller with pacing that keeps you on your toes till the last frame,” said Saban Films’ Bill Bromiley. “Everyone will love this.”
Ross’s first feature, Frank & Lola, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired and later released by Universal Studios.
Cassian Elwes helped arrange financing and is executive producing with Marc Hansell, Devan Towers, and Jere R. Hausfater; Wayne Marc Godfrey and Robert Jones of The Fyzz; Christian Angermayer and Klemens Hallmann of Film House; Chris Lemole and Tim Zajaros of Armory Films; and Phyllis Laing and Jeff Beesley of Buffalo Gals. Bill Bromiley and Jonathan Saba negotiated the deal for Saban Films, with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. IM Global is handling international sales.
At Cannes, Saban Films just acquired Kristoffer Nyholm’s Keepers, starring Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan and Connor Swindells. Earlier this year, the company bought Craig William Macneill’s racy drama Lizzie, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart out of the Sundance Film Festival where it premiered in-competition.
Saban Films’ slate includes: Brad Silberling’s war thriller An Ordinary Man starring Academy Award® Winner Ben Kingsley; Ivan Kavanagh’s Never Grow Old starring John Cusack and Emile Hirsch; Alexandre Moors’ The Yellow Birds starring Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich, Toni Collette, and Jason Patric, Jack Huston and Jennifer Aniston; and Alexandros Avranas’ Dark Crimes starring Jim Carrey and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Since the company’s launch in 2014, Saban Films has released 40 films and continues to be active in the acquisition and distribution space, with successes that have run the gamut from critically acclaimed theatrical films such as The Homesman, to one of the biggest Fathom events in 2016 with Rob Zombie’s horror thriller 31. Recent titles include: Roland Joffé’s The Forgiven starring Forest Whitaker and Eric Bana; Taran Killam’s Killing Gunther starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Ric Roman Waugh’s Shot Caller starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lake Bell; War on Everyone starring Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, and Theo James; The Girl with All the Gifts starring Gemma Arterton and Glenn Close; and Ethan Hawke action thriller 24 Hours to Live.
About Saban Films
Saban Films, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group (“SCG”), is a film acquisition and distribution company which acquires high-quality, feature films to distribute in North America. Focusing on commercial, talent driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production for release across multiple platforms, including a day and date theatrical/VOD release strategy. Based in Los Angeles, Saban Films was established by Haim Saban, SCG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and is led by Bill Bromiley who serves as president, Shanan Becker, Chief Financial Officer and Ness Saban, Vice President of Business Development.
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