Metrograph Pictures Acquires North American Rights To Julien Colonna’s ‘The Kingdom’ Following Buzzy Cannes Film Festival Debut

Zac Ntim
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Following a buzzy debut this week at the Cannes Film Festival, Parisian-based filmmaker Julien Colonna’s debut feature The Kingdom has been picked up by Metrograph Pictures, who will release the film in North America.

The Kingdom screened in the festival’s Un Certain Regard sidebar and has been widely touted on the ground in Cannes as a surprising festival standout. Metrograph Pictures has said it will distribute the film theatrically, with additional release details to be announced later.

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Set over one sweltering summer on the French island of Corsica, The Kingdom follows a Corsican mob family on the run. The central character is Lesia (Ghjuvanna Benedetti), a teenager who reconnects with her father, Pierre-Paul, a local mob boss in hiding. As Pierre-Paul’s crimes catch up with him, the two go on the run from both mobsters and the police, forging an increasingly close-knit bond that will ultimately force Lesia to choose between joining or escaping her father’s legacy.

The Kingdom is the first narrative feature from Colonna. His previous work includes the short film Confession, which was shot in the slums of Bangkok, and the series Brutal: A Taste of Violence.

David Laub, Head of Metrograph Pictures, described The Kingdom to us as a “remarkable achievement.”

“The film provides an entirely fresh and compelling perspective on a mafia movie, while also being a tremendously emotional father-daughter story. It is an absolute gem that will surprise, move, and stay with audiences, and we’re so excited to bring it out into the world,” Laub said.

Discussing the news, Colonna added: “I am honored that Metrograph, with their highly impressive experience and lineup, has boarded The Kingdom as U.S. distributor. We could not have hoped to find a better partner for the film, and I look forward to our collaboration, and to The Kingdom  being seen by U.S. audiences.”

The Kingdom marks Metrograph Pictures’ second acquisition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival following Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, which has also been a festival standout from Un Certain Regard.

The Cannes Film Festival ends on Saturday.

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