Allison Janney’s Drama ‘Breaking News in Yuba County’ Bought by MGM

Dave McNary
·2 min read
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The North American rights to Allison Janney’s drama-comedy “Breaking News in Yuba County” have been bought by MGM, which will release the film on Jan. 29, 2021 through its relaunched American International Pictures label.

Janney stars as an overlooked pencil pusher who catches her husband in bed with another woman, which causes him to die of a heart attack. Janney’s character buries his body and takes advantage of the growing celebrity status that comes from having a missing husband. But she quickly finds herself in over her head while trying to keep the truth from her half-sister (Mila Kunis), a local news anchor who’s desperate for a story, and a relentless local policewoman (Regina Hall)

Awkwafina, Wanda Sykes, Matthew Modine, Ellen Barkin, Samira Wiley, Bridget Everett, Clifton Collins Jr., Jimmi Simpson and Juliette Lewis round out the cast. Tate Taylor directed the film from a script by Amanda Idoko.

“Tate has made a widely entertaining film and we are thrilled to be partnering with him and AGC Studios to bring it to audiences in January,” said Chris Ottinger, president of worldwide television distribution and acquisitions at MGM.

The film was financed by AGC Studios in association with Ingenious Media and Fibonacci Films. Producers are AGC Studios, Taylor, Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker via their Nine Stories banner, Franklin Leonard’s The Black List, and John Norris. Executive producers are AGC’s chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, AGC’s COO Miguel PalosJr., Nine Stories’ Annie Marter, Greg Shapiro, Greg Clark, Victoria Hill, Amit Pandya, Stephen Spence, Robin Mulcahy Fisichella, Allison Janney, and Amanda Idoko.

The deal was brokered on behalf of MGM by Sam Wollman and AGC’s Ford and Anant Tamirisa. American International Pictures was founded as an independent film production and distribution company during the 1950s.

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