Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios has financed and co-produced Sweat, a psychological thriller starring Ana de Armas (Ballerina, Blonde, No Time to Die) and directed by J. Blakeson (I Care a Lot, The Disappearance of Alice Creed).
“Sweat” is based on the Polish film written and directed by Magnus von Horn, which was officially screened at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, and produced by Lava Films.
The film centers on Emma Kent (De Armas), an ambitious fitness influencer who dreams of matching the success of her idol, social media superstar Kat Highbrook. When a meeting with Kat goes horribly wrong, Emma’s carefully constructed world begins to fall apart, forcing her into a dangerous deal with Trent, an obsessive fan. Trent’s unflinching dedication forces Emma to choose how far she will go for fame.
The film is scheduled to begin production on March 30 in Los Angeles and the United Kingdom, and will be distributed internationally by AGC International, with U.S. rights jointly acquired by WME Independent, CAA Media Finance and AGC. Additional casting is also in progress.
“Sweat” will be produced by Guy Stodel through his Rosto Inc. banner, along with Blakeson through his Crimple Beck production company and AGC’s Ford.
De Armas played Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominick’s Blonde, which premiered in competition at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and received Academy Award, SAG, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. She first gained worldwide recognition in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, and has since appeared in major projects such as No Time to Die, Blade Runner 2049, The Gray Man, Ghost, and Ballerina.
Blakeson is a British director, screenwriter, and producer. His first feature film, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, was a critically acclaimed neo-noir that has since spawned three international remakes. In 2016, Blakeson directed The Fifth Wave for Columbia Pictures/Sony, based on the novel of the same name, which grossed $110 million worldwide. He is best known for writing and directing the Netflix hit “I Care a Lot,” which received critical acclaim and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Rosamund Pike.
Most recently, Blakeson served as showrunner and director for Hulu/Disney+’s eight-part crime thriller series “Criminal.”
