Joko Anwar’s horror-comedy Ghost in the Cell has secured distribution in several key territories after its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, with Barunson E&A signing deals in Poland, the UK, Ireland, France and Australia.
Media4fun acquired Poland for SVOD only, while Blue Finch Releasing acquired the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The Shadowz occupied France, Portugal, and Portuguese-speaking Africa.
Barunson E&A is in talks for several additional territories, including Latin America, the company revealed at Hong Kong Filmart.
The sale follows Bahnsson E&A’s previously announced German-speaking European rights agreement with Pryon Pictures and was negotiated between Moritz Peters, Pryon Pictures’ Director of Acquisitions, and Sylvie Kim, Head of International Business at Bahnsson E&A.
The Indonesian prison thriller is the latest collaboration between Barunson E&A and Prion Pictures, following on from their collaboration on Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film “Parasite” and Kim Ji-woon’s Cannes film “Spider’s Web.”
The film depicts a quiet prisoner who arrives in a violent Indonesian prison with a supernatural being who murders people with the darkest auras. As the prisoners perform good deeds to survive, they realize that banding together is their only chance of not being eliminated one by one.
Anwar has established himself internationally as a versatile filmmaker whose work spans comedy, thriller, horror and action. His films have premiered at Venice, Toronto, Sundance, and the Berlinale, and several have become record hits domestically. He previously directed at HBO Asia and produced the Netflix series “The Nightmares and Daydreams of Joko Anwar,” which reached the top 10 in the US.
Ghost in the Cell is produced by Come & Sea Pictures, Lapi Films, Barunson E&A and Legacy Pictures. Tia Hasibuan will co-produce with Anwar, who will also serve as executive producer along with Hasibuan, Gope T. Samtani, Sunil G. Samtani, Sunar S. Samtani, Yunhee Choi, Kim, Lisbeth Simalmata and Mina Huang.
Theatrical release in Indonesia is scheduled for April.
