Focus Boards Baltasar Kormákur’s Romantic Drama ‘Touch’, Based On Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson’s Icelandic Bestseller

Nancy Tartaglione
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Focus Features has boarded Beast and Everest filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur’s romantic drama Touch, which begins principal photography Sunday in London. Focus will release domestically, with Universal Pictures International handling overseas distribution (excluding Iceland).

RVK Studios’ Kormákur and Agnes Johansen are producing Touch alongside Good Chaos’ Mike Goodridge. Carlen Johnson will oversee production on behalf of Focus.

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Touch is based on the bestselling Icelandic novel by Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, which was published in the U.S. in August this year. Ólaffson co-wrote the script with Kormákur.

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The story spans several decades and continents as it follows one widower’s emotional journey to find his first love who disappeared 50 years ago — before his time runs out.

Touch features an international cast including Egill Olafsson, Kōki, Masahiro Motoki, Palmi Kormakur, Sigurdur Ingvarsson, Yoko Narahashi, Masatoshi Nakamura, Meg Kubota, Maria Ellingsen, Eiji Mihara, Theodor Juliusson, Starkadur Petursson, Ruth Sheen and Benedikt Erlingsson.

Kormákur’s latest film, action thriller Beast, starring Idris Elba, is currently in cinemas through Universal. His credits also include epic Everest, action thriller 2 Guns and crime drama Contraband — all with Universal. His celebrated Icelandic movies include 101 Reykjavik, Jar City, The Deep and The Oath.

Ólafsson is the author of the novels Absolution, The Journey Home, Walking into the Night, Restoration, One Station Away, The Sacrament and Touch, as well as a story collection, Valentines.

Kormákur is repped by WME and Rich Cook at Range. Ólafsson is repped by Gloria Loomis of Watkins Loomis Agency.

Upcoming features for Focus include Todd Field’s Tár, starring Venice Volpi Cup winner Cate Blanchett; James Gray’s Cannes premiere Armageddon Time; Spoiler Alert based on Michael Ausiello’s memoir; Champions directed by Bobby Farrelly and starring Woody Harrelson; A.V. Rockwell’s directorial debut A Thousand and One starring Teyana Taylor; Polite Society directed by Nida Manzoor; Bill Holderman’s Book Club 2: The Next Chapter starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton and Andy Garcia; and Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers starring Paul Giamatti.

Currently in production for the studio is Asteroid City, the starry feature reuniting Wes Anderson and Focus for the first time since Moonrise Kingdom, and Lisa Frankenstein from debut feature filmmaker Zelda Williams, written by Oscar and Tony winner Diablo Cody.

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