Cannes: A24 Takes Rights to Lukas Dhont’s ‘Close’ for North America

A24 has scored its second major deal in Cannes, scooping up North American rights to Lukas Dhont’s Close, one of the buzziest titles in the competition.

Dhont’s follow-up to his award-winning 2018 debut Girl has its world premiere Thursday evening in Cannes. Newcomers Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele star in the film alongside Émilie Dequenne, Léa Drucker, Kevin Janssens, Marc Weiss, Igor Van Dessel and Léon Bataille. Dhont co-wrote the screenplay with Angelo Tijssens.

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The coming-of-age drama, which follows the friendship of two 13-year-old boys on the cusp of puberty, has been one of the most talked-about titles at the festival this year. Earlier, art-house movie streaming service Mubi picked up Close for the  U.K., Ireland, Latin America, Turkey and India.

The Match Factory is handling world sales for the film.

Dhont made a splashy launch on the world cinema stage in 2018 when his directorial debut Girl, the story of a transgender ballet dancer, premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and won four awards. That includes the Camera d’Or for best first feature, the FIPRESCI film critics honor, the Un Certain Regard best performance trophy for lead Victor Polster and the Queer Palm for best LGBTQ movie.

A24 earlier picked up North American rights to Charlotte Wells’ tearjerker Aftersun, featuring Paul Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio, which premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section.

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