Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton Film ‘Curtain Call’ Sells to Major Territories – EFM

“Curtain Call,” starring starring Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton, Paapa Essiedu and Simon Russell Beale, has sold to several major territories.

To be directed by “Shopgirl” filmmaker Anand Tucker, the film will commence production later this year in the U.K.

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Culmination Productions has sold to Squareone Entertainment (German-speaking Europe), Notorious Pictures (Italy), California Filmes (Latin America), Cineart (Benelux), Tanweer (Greece), Lusomundo (Portugal), Sena (Iceland), Hagi Films (Poland), Shoval Film (Israel), Selim Ramia & Co (The Middle East), Empire (South Africa), Benchmark Films (Taiwan) and to Spain, where a distributor is yet to be announced.

Adapted by Oscar-nominee Patrick Marber (“Notes on a Scandal”) from Anthony Quinn’s novel of the same name, “Curtain Call” revolves around Jimmy Erskine (Beale), the most feared theatre critic of the age, his loyal and long-suffering assistant Tom Turner (Essiedu), David Brooke (Firth), the new owner of the newspaper who wants to be rid of Jimmy, and young actress Nina Land (Arterton), devastated by Jimmy’s critical reviews.

Jolyon Symonds is producing under his Fearless Minds banner. Executive producers are Mark Gordon and Beth Pattinson for Mark Gordon Pictures, Tom Butterfield and Harry White for Culmination Productions, and Patrick Marber. Sony Pictures International Productions will co-produce, and have the rights for the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Harry White is handling sales for Culmination Productions at the European Film Market, Berlin.

Mark Gordon Pictures’ upcoming feature releases include Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile” for 20th Century Studios and “Awake” for Netflix, starring Gina Rodriguez. The company is also in development on the adaptation of Norman Mailer’s American spy epic “Harlot’s Ghost,” as well as a contemporary series retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s 1964 samurai epic, “Yojimbo,” to be written by “Game Of Thrones” writer Bryan Cogman.

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