Cannes TOLDJA! Kevin Costner Re-Teams With Mike Binder On ‘Black And White’ For IM Global

IM Global founder and CEO Stuart Ford announced today that IM Global will launch the international sales in Cannes of BLACK AND WHITE, the project that re-teams two-time Academy Award® winner Kevin Costner (Man of Steel, The Upside of Anger, For Love of the Game, Open Range, Dances with Wolves) with acclaimed writer, director and actor Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger, Reign Over Me). The film, which also stars Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer, is based on Binder’s own script, and is a co-production of Costner’s Treehouse Productions and Binder’s Sunlight Productions, along with Todd Lewis. Cassian Elwes is onboard as an executive producer. Principal photography begins this summer in New Orleans.

Binder’s engrossing drama focuses on attorney Elliot Anderson (Costner) who is widowed after the car crash death of his wife. Elliot has raised his bi-racial granddaughter Eloise since his daughter died in childbirth. As he struggles with his grief, Elliot’s world is turned upside-down when the child’s African American grandmother Rowena (Spencer) demands that Eloise be brought under the care of her father Reggie, a drug addict who Elliot blames for the negligence that led to the death of his own daughter. Elliot finds himself deeply entrenched in a custody battle and will stop at nothing to keep his granddaughter from coming under the watch of his reckless son-in-law. BLACK AND WHITE is a searing portrayal of a broken man caught up in a struggle clouded by bitterness, blame and racial tension who learns to forgive and how to provide for the only family he has left.

Said Ford, “We’re delighted to come onboard such a powerful, compelling project with the Costner/Binder team that memorably brought us The Upside of Anger. Kevin’s recent critical achievements as both an actor and producer with Hatfields & McCoys give the project added momentum and we’re expecting a strong distributor response in Cannes.”

Said Elwes, “I could not be more honored to work with Kevin Costner and his team on this incredible film. I know he and Mike are going to create a classic that will be widely seen and loved for many years to come and IM Global is the perfect company to position the film for its international success.”

The deal was brokered by Cassian Elwes on behalf of the producers, and by IM Global CEO Ford and President Jonathan Deckter. Elwes is also handling the U.S. rights. Spencer is repped by WME.