MRC Film Expands With Romance Label Led By Producer Elizabeth Cantillon

Anthony D'Alessandro
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: MRC Film has tapped producer Elizabeth Cantillon to lead a new label within the division focused on romance movies.

Cantillon reports to MRC Film Co-Presidents Brye Adler and Jonathan Golfman. The yet-unnamed label focuses on the romance genre with a wide berth of stories that are inclusive and expansive, traditional and modern, original and literature based, and real-life stories catering to all audiences.

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The new label operates under MRC Film with an independent development budget to shepherd projects at various stages of development and production. The division has complete distribution flexibility and the ability to work in collaboration with other producers.

“There’s a great opportunity to breathe new life into this genre and support these kinds of stories; and with Elizabeth’s infectious passion and enthusiasm, we could think of no better partner with whom to build this new label,” said Adler and Golfman.

“Every person has a love story; and it’s wonderful to explore this theme in all its beauty, complexity and humor,” said Cantillon. “I’m proud to build this label with MRC and tell romantic stories that span traditional, progressive and even a few that might subvert and upend the formula.”

Cantillon also announced select book adaptation titles from the current development slate:

–Allie Hagan (2017’s Blacklist When in Doubt Seduce, Notorious) is adapting Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling novel 28 Summers, which explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair, its profound impact on the lovers and the lives of the people around them.

—Photos of You, based on Tammy Robinson’s novel, is being adapted for the screen by Tom Dean (2016’s Blacklist The Time Traveler’s La Ronde). After a devastating diagnosis, Ava breaks off her engagement, decides to throw herself a groom-less wedding, and becomes somewhat of a sensation and voice of empowerment. She discovers that it’s never too late to find the love of your life.

–Rebecca Raisin’s Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop is being adapted by Monisha Dadlani (Condoms and Cherries). Produced with Frolic Media, the story begins when, after a breakup sends Rosie into a tailspin that finds her jobless and without a place to live, she embarks on a new adventure in a bright pink camper van turned traveling tea shop. Along the way, she finds new friends, a quirky community, and just maybe, another shot at love.

Cantillon has most recently been running The Cantillon Company at Sony since 2014, where she produced the Elizabeth Banks reboot of Charlie’s Angels and the upcoming film adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s bestseller, The Nightingale, to be directed by Melanie Laurent and star Dakota and Elle Fanning. Cantillon was an executive at Sony Pictures, where she oversaw Oscar winning and auteur-driven films like David Fincher’s The Social Network, Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips, Ryan Murphy’s Eat, Pray, Love, as well as the James Bond franchise.

MRC Film before the pandemic had the hit movie Knives Out from Rian Johnson and the $227M-grossing Edgar Wright directed hit Baby Driver. MRC Film recently announced a yet-to-be-named label focused on female-driven comedies led by producer Becky Sloviter.

Raisin is represented by UTA. Hagan is represented by Management 360, CAA and law firm JTWAMM. Hilderbrand is represented by UTA, Michael Carlisle & David Forrer at Inkwell Management, and attorney Christine Cuddy at Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo LLP. Dean is repped by UTA and Circle of Confusion. Dadlani is repped by Verve, Good Fear and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler. Robinson is represented by CAA and High Spot Literary.

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