Get ready stateside filmgoers, because the "phoners" (aka "crazies") are coming to the US. Stephen King fans know that the master of macabre doesn't like using cell phones. His 2006 novel, Cell, is a cautionary tale about what can go wrong by pressing portable phones to our ears and keeping them close at hand in our pockets, and its unflinching subject matter contains flocks of murderous lunatics that would be right at home in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, George A. Romero's The Crazies, or Simon Clark's Blood Crazy.
We knew this unique King novel was getting the adaptation treatment, with King co-writing the screenplay and John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in the lead roles, but we're now one big step closer to seeing it on the silver screen, as Clarius Entertainment has acquired the US rights to the movie.
Slated to hit theaters this year, Cell is directed by Paranormal Activity 2′s Tod Williams off a screenplay by Stephen King and Adam Alleca (in turn based on King's 2006 novel). The film stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Owen Teague, and Stacy Keach.
Press Release (via Collider) - "BERLIN, GERMANY (February 6, 2015) – Clarius Entertainment has acquired US rights to Benaroya Pictures and The Genre Company’s thriller CELL directed by Tod “Kip” Williams (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2) and starring John Cusack (upcoming LOVE & MERCY, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER) and Oscar-nominated Samuel L. Jackson (upcoming KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, DJANGO UNCHAINED), it was announced today by the film’s producers Michael Benaroya and Richard Saperstein.
International Film Trust (IFT) is handling foreign rights to the film, which they are actively selling at the European Film Market.
“We are so glad to be working with Clarius, who recognize the broad commercial appeal of this high-concept genre film starring an impressive cast who deliver exceptional performances,” said Benaroya.
“I’m proud of the film we’ve made and excited to work with the strong, experienced team at Clarius on what I know will be a successful release,” said Saperstein.
“CELL is an exciting addition to our slate, with solid pedigree both in front of and behind the camera and a wild ride of a story for our cell phone-dependent culture,” said Louise Chater, Clarius’ acquisition head. “Our team is very much looking forward to working with these filmmakers and bringing the film into the US marketplace.”
Set to be a wide theatrical release later this year, CELL also stars Isabelle Fuhrman (THE HUNGER GAMES) and Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (NEBRASKA, THE BOURNE LEGACY). When a powerful signal is broadcast across mobile networks worldwide, cell phone users’ minds are instantly and dangerously re-programmed. Heading north through New England in search of his wife and son, Clay Riddell (Cusack) is joined by a group of survivors hoping to fend off the bloodthirsty and hyper-connected “phoners.”
CELL is produced by Michael Benaroya (LAWLESS, MARGIN CALL), Richard Saperstein (SE7EN, HANCOCK), Brian Witten (CHERNOBYL DIARIES, FRIDAY THE 13TH) and Shara Kay (SILENT NIGHT). While he was President of Dimension Films, Saperstein oversaw the Stephen King adaptations, THE MIST, directed by Frank Darabont, and 1408, which also starred Cusack and Jackson, and grossed over $130 million worldwide.
Based on the best-selling apocalyptic novel by Stephen King, the screenplay for CELL was written by King, with revisions by Adam Alleca (LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT) and Mark Leyner (WAR INC.). John Cusack, Paddy Cullen, Edward Mokhtarian, Armen Aghaeian, Xavier Gens, Laurence Freed, Stephen Hays, Peter Graham, Ben Sachs, Tyler Hawes, Brian Pope, Geno Tazioli, Marina Grasic and Jan Korbelin are executive producers and Mark Leyner, Ben Insler and James Lejsek are co-producers.
The deal is being negotiated by Nick Ogiony at CAA and Ben Weiss at Paradigm on behalf of the filmmakers and William Sadleir from Clarius Entertainment.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FILM TRUST
International Film Trust (IFT) is an international sales and distribution company operated by producers for producers. With over 20 years of experience in producing, finance, international sales and distribution, IFT has the knowledge and relationships to cultivate strategic partnerships with A-list producers and filmmakers. Transparent by their design in their business practices IFT is a company that understands and honors the four pillars that sustain the global film marketplace: Creativity, Finance, Sales and Distribution.
IFT’s slate includes John Pogue’s WAKE starring Bruce Willis; IDOL’S EYE starring Robert De Niro and Robert Pattinson; YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY starring Daniel Radcliffe and based on Dave Eggers’ best-selling novel; Mark Polish’s HEADLOCK starring Andy Garcia, Dianna Agron and Justin Bartha; the upcoming CYMBELINE starring Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich and Dakota Johnson and will be theatrically released on March 13th, 2015 by Lionsgate; comedy THE KING OF THE KASTLE starring Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver and Asa Butterfield and produced by Jonathan Gordon (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK) and Michael Benaroya; Tod Williams’ (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2) action thriller CELL starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, which is currently in post-production; YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD written by acclaimed novelist Emma Forrest and adapted from her New York Times best-seller; and the horror thriller EXISTS, and was acquired from producers Robin Cowie (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), Jane Fleming (THE FROZEN GROUND), Mark Ordesky (THE LORD OF THE RINGS), Andy Jenkins, and executive produced by Reed Frerichs, Gregg Hale, George Waud and D. Todd Shepherd;.
ABOUT BENAROYA PICTURES
Michael Benaroya has numerous upcoming film projects including the highly-anticipated QUEEN OF THE DESERT, which is opening at the Berlin Film Festival, directed by Werner Herzog and starring Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Robert Pattinson and Damien Lewis, and YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY starring Daniel Radcliffe, based on the Dave Eggers’ best-selling book and to be directed by Peter Sollett. YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY recently sold out across the world after a major multi territory deal with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA).
Additional projects in various stages of production include KING OF THE KASTLE starring Clive Owen, which will shoot this summer; and HEADLOCK, written and directed by Mark Polish, starring Dianna Agron, Justin Bartha and Andy Garcia. The company also has ANARCHY starring Ed Harris, Ethan Hawke and Mila Jovovich which will have an upcoming theatrical release through Grindstone Entertainment.
Benaroya’s film credits include KILL YOUR DARLINGS, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DaHaan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, and Elizabeth Olsen, which was released domestically last year by Sony Pictures Classics. Other titles include the romantic mystery THE WORDS starring Bradley Cooper, and LAWLESS, starring Shia LaBeouf. The company’s financial thriller MARGIN CALL was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Best First Feature Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards.
ABOUT CLARIUS ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
Founded in 2012, Clarius Entertainment is an independent film marketing and distribution company based in Los Angeles. Clarius Entertainment finances prints and advertising (P&A) through sister company Clarius Capital Group, LLC to mount strategic domestic theatrical marketing and distribution campaigns for producing partners."
Image via Collider:
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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