Neon Buys Joachim Trier’s and Renate Reinsve’s ‘Sentimental Value’

Neon has picked up the North American rights to Sentimental Value, the upcoming film from Norwegian director Joachim Trier that reteams him with Renate Reinsve, star of Trier’s 2021 hit The Worst Person in the World.

Trier and Worst Person in the World co-writer Eskil Vogt penned the screenplay to Sentimental Value, a family drama about two sisters forced to deal with their estranged father after the death of their mother. Sentimental Value is set to begin principal photography in August in Norway and France. Neon is planning a 2025 theatrical release.

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Maria Ekerhovd, who made The Hollywood Reporter‘s 2024 list of the 40 most powerful women in international film, is producing Sentimental Value for Mer Film in Norway, alongside Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures, Lizette Jonjic and Sisse Graum for Zentropa, Juliette Schrameck for Agat Films, Nathanaël Karmitz and Elisha Karmitz for MK Production and Janine Jackowski and Jonas Dornbach for Komplizen Film.

Neon president of acquisitions and production Jeff Deutchman negotiated the deal for Sentimental Value with Ekerhovd and Ottmar on behalf of the filmmakers. MK2 is handling international sales rights for the movie and shopping it to buyers at this year’s Cannes film market.

The Worst Person in the World premiered in Cannes in 2021, winning the best actress prize for Reinsve and kicking off its global success, crowned by two Oscar nominations, for best international film and a best original screenplay nom for Trier and Vogt. A crossover hit, Worst Person earned more than $3 million domestically for Neon and more than $12 million worldwide.

The in-demand Reinsve starred in the Sundance zombie movie Handling the Undead from director Thea Hvistendahl, another Neon release, and had two films in Berlin competition this year: The sci-fi drama Another End from Italian director Piero Messina and Aaron Schimberg’s satiric fable A Different Man with Sebastian Stan. Her latest, Armand, from director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel, premiered on Saturday in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar.

Neon has been snatching up titles in Cannes this year, recently picking up North American rights for Mohammad Rasoulof’s hotly-anticipated Iranian drama The Seed of the Sacred Fig; Julia Ducournau’s Titane follow-up Alpha; and The Unknown from Arthur Harari; as well as U.S. rights to Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey starring Theo James.

At this year’s festival, Neon is premiering Sean Baker’s latest, Anora, in competition on Tuesday.

Trier is represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and UTA. Vogt is represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and CAA. Reinsve is represented by CAA.

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