Sony Pictures Classics Taking North America + On Dan Friedkin-Directed Post-WWII Drama ‘Lyrebird’ – Toronto
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EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Classics is closing its second Toronto Film Festival deal, this one for Lyrebird, the Dan Friedkin-directed drama that stars Vicky Krieps, Guy Pearce, Roland Moller and Claes Bang. Deal being wrapped up is for North America, Latin American, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Asia. FilmNation has made a deal for the rest of the world.
It’s SPC’s second festival deal after it secured U.S. rights to the Michael Winterbottom-directed satire Greed, starring Steve Coogan and Isla Fisher.
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In Lyrebird, Bang plays Joseph Piller, a soldier and member of the Dutch resistance who is tasked with investigating stolen art in the wake of World War II. His focus is on the flamboyant painter Han van Meegeren (Pearce), who allegedly sold a Vermeer to Hermann Goring. Selling stolen art to the Nazis is a crime punishable by death. After fighting in the Dutch Resistance, Joseph would seem to have little reason to sympathize with an artist known for hosting hedonistic soirees and cozying up to Nazi leaders. But helped by his bright assistant (Krieps), he peels away layers of damning evidence to be sure van Meegeren gets a fair trial, convinced there is more to the artist than his flamboyant facade.
Friedkin, a principal in Imperative Entertainment and 30WEST, makes his directing debut on a drama written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby and James McGee.
Pic is produced by Imperative Entertainment and Ryan Friedkin, Danny Friedkin and Bradley Thomas. Gino Falsetto, Peter Heslop and Ridley Scott are the exec producers.
30WEST is brokering the deal.
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