Bleecker Street Films and LD Entertainment have acquired the U.S. rights to Anton Corbijn’s latest film, A Talent For Murder, starring Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award winner Helen Mirren as acclaimed novelist Patricia Highsmith (‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’).
In this winding thriller, Alden Ehrenreich (new Tony Award winner for Weapons, Oppenheimer, and The Becky Show) plays an insensitive young literary agent from New York sent to Switzerland to persuade Highsmith to write the final installment of Ripley’s collection of poems. “House of the Dragon” star Olivia Cooke rounds out the lead trio.
The film is directed by Corbyn (The American, Most Wanted) and is based on the 2014 play Switzerland by prolific Australian playwright, screenwriter and novelist Joanna Murray-Smith. “A Talent For Murder” will be released in theaters this fall.
“We are thrilled to reunite with LD and the great Helen Mirren to release Corbijn’s enchanting ode not only to Highsmith’s vibrant spirit, but to her captivating work itself,” Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson said in a press release announcing the acquisition.
“‘A Talent For Murder’ is exactly the kind of project we love to make at LD. Anton Corbijn brings a fresh take on the world of Patricia Highsmith, and Helen Mirren, Alden Ehrenreich and Olivia Cooke give great performances,” said Mickey Liddell and Pete Sirimon of LD Entertainment, who are producing the film along with Gabriel Tannat of Magnolia Mae Films. They added, “We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Bleecker Street and are excited to bring this film to audiences nationwide this fall.”
“A Talent For Murder” is the latest in a series of collaborations between Bleecker and LD Entertainment, following “Bone Lake,” “ISS,” “Teen Spirit,” “Megan Leavey,” and “Anthropoid,” and will also include live theater footage of the Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown,” scheduled to be released in theaters on July 24th.
Brohaha’s Troy Lamb and Andrew Mason. Jim Robison and Kurt Martin (Lunar Pictures). Carolyn Marks Blackwood (Magnolia Mae). Karl Spoeri (Zurichstrasse, Switzerland). and Andrea Occhipinti (Italy’s Lucky Red) will also produce. The film was financed by Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology, and LD Entertainment.
The deal was negotiated by Bleecker Street’s Avy Eschenasy, with LD’s Michael Glassman and CAA Media Finance negotiating on behalf of the filmmakers. FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales.
