CAA, XYZ, Take U.S. Representation Rights on ‘The Platform’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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CAA Media Finance and production-sales company XYZ Films are set to co-represent, with Madrid-based Latido Films, the U.S. distribution rights to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s “The Platform,” a Toronto Midnight Madness entry.

CAA Media Finance and production-sales company XYZ Films are set to co-represent, with Madrid-based Latido Films, the U.S. distribution rights to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s “The Platform” (“El Hoyo”), a Toronto Midnight Madness entry.

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XYZ has also signed Gaztelu-Urrutia to its new management division. The representation deal was struck by XYZ, CAA and Juan Torres at Latido Films, which represents world sales to the title outside Spain.

One of the standout Spanish-language feature debuts of 2019, if first reactions at Toronto are anything to go, “The Platform” has also chalked up a bevy of pre-sales in Asia for Latido, closing Japan (The Klockworx), Korea (Activers), Hong Kong-(Edko Films) and Taiwan (Creative Century).

“We’re delighted that such a special film with such potential is represented by CAA and XYZ, not only because of these companies’ prestige and achievements but also given the tremendous enthusiasm they’ve shown for the film,” said Latido’s Torres.

Written by David Desola (“Warehoused”) and Pedro Rivero, co-director of Gkids U.S. pick-up “Bird Boy,” “The Platform” mixes futurist dystopian sci-f and redolent social allegory in a brutal survival thriller.

It is set in a vertical prison, with hundreds of floors. Every day a stone dumbwaiter descends with food left over from tenants above. Higher-level inmates gorge themselves; those below face starvation, suicide or cannibalism. Goreng, an inmate, gradually rebels, however, against such inequality.

The film is produced by Carlos Juárez and David Matamoros for Basque Films and Mr. Miyagi.

“The Platform” has everything,” Now Magazine announced just before Toronto: “Low comedy, political allegory, left-field twists, crowd-pleasing surprises, spectacular violence, sadism, altruism and yet more spectacular violence.”

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