EXCLUSIVE: Nick Hamm’s action-packed adaptation William Tell, starring Claes Bang and Golshifteh Farahani, has sold to the UK & Ireland and Germany-speaking territories ahead of its world premiere in Toronto next week.
Munich-based sales company Beta Cinema unveiled the all-rights deals to Altitude (UK & Ireland) and SquareOne Entertainment for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, following the film’s well-attended press and industry screening in Toronto on Thursday.
Both distributors are targeting a release date in Q1 2025.
Beta Cinema has already announced deals with SF Studios (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland), Beta Fiction (Spain), Eagle Pictures (Italy), Dutch Filmworks (Benelux), Pris Audiovisuais (Portugal), Monolith Films (Poland), Cinemart (Czech Republic), Blitz (Former Yugoslavia), ADS (Hungary and Romania), Beta Film (Bulgaria), TFG (Greece), Ukraine (Top Film) and The Plot Pictures (Middle East & Turkey) earlier this year.
Director Hamm’s adaptation of Friedrich Schiller’s classic play is fresh out of post-production.
Bang (The Square, Dracula) stars as titular hero opposite Farahani (Paterson, Extraction) as his wife. They are joined by Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Ellie Bamber (Moss & Freud, Nocturnal Animals), Rafe Spall (Life of Pi, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and Emily Beecham (The Interpreter, Little Joe), with Academy-Award winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List) and Academy-Award nominee Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, Game of Thrones).
Altitude co-CEO Will Clarke said of the acquisition: “It’s fantastic to be working with such an incredible team of film-makers and our friends at Beta and we can’t wait to bring the epic and thrilling William Tell to audiences in the UK & Ireland.”
For his part, Thomas Sierk, Director of Acquisitions & Sales at SquareOne Entertainment, said: “The production truly succeeds to tell the story of the legendary freedom-fighter William Tell as an exciting, action-packed epic with an outstanding international cast.
Al Munteanu, CEO of SquareOne Entertainment added, “Together with my team, I am thrilled to bring this fantastic production to theaters early next year.”
The narrative unfolds in the 14th Century, when Europe’s nations fiercely vie for supremacy within the Holy Roman Empire. The ambitious Austrians, desiring more land, encroach upon Switzerland, a serene and pastoral nation.
Amidst this backdrop, William Tell, a formerly peaceful hunter, finds himself forced to take action as his family and homeland come under dire threat from the oppressive Austrian King and his ruthless warlords. Leading his fellow countrymen, Tell embarks on a courageous rebellion, seeking to defend their liberty and stand against the tyrannical forces that seek to subjugate them.
Hamm’s previous credits include Driven, which was selected as the closing film at the Venice Film Festival, Netflix’s White Lines and The Journey which premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals.
Piers Tempest (The Wife, Emily) and Marie-Christine Jaeger-Firmenich (Gigi & Nate) produce. Executive Producers include Jon Hamm, David Nichols and Francesco Marras.
William Tell is a Free Turn Films / Tempo production in association with Beta Cinema, WME Independent, Prime Focus Studios and Groenlandia and Cineroma SRL. The production is supported by IDM Südtirol and autonomous province of Bozen/Bolzano – South Tyrol and Quebec Film Production Services Tax Credit.
“We are delighted to partner with such highly esteemed distributors for the UK and Germany. The epic tale of William Tell presents a rich tapestry of themes and topics, providing a strong foundation for bold and ambitious theatrical campaigns in these two key European markets,” said Beta Cinema EVP Thorsten Ritter.
The film will world premiere in Toronto as a Gala Presentation next week and will then make its European presentation at the Zurich Film Festival in October. Beta Cinema handles international rights, alongside WME Independent who represent domestic rights.
Source : Deadline