The Orchard Nabs Joachim Trier’s Supernatural Thriller ‘Thelma’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The Orchard has acquired all North American rights to Joachim Trier’s supernatural thriller “Thelma,” Variety has learned.
It marks the Norwegian auteur’s second collaboration with the indie label. The Orchard also distributed 2015’s “Louder Than Bombs,” an acclaimed family drama with Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne, and Isabelle Huppert.
“Thelma” follows a young woman with terrifying powers. It was co-written by Trier and Eskil Vogt, and stars Eili Harboe, Okay Kaya, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, and Henrik Rafaelsen. The producer is Thomas Robsahm and the executive producers are Trier, Vogt, and Sigve Endresen of Motlys. The co-producers are Le Pacte (France), Snowglobe and Copenhagen Film Fund (Denmark), and Film i Väst, Filmpool Nord and B-Reel (Sweden).
The movie is financed with support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Danish Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, Nordic Film & TV Fund, Eurimages, and Creative Europe. World sales were handled by Memento Films International.
“Working with Joachim on ‘Louder Than Bombs’ was a wonderful experience and gave us the opportunity to witness, up close, his unmatched visionary talent and passion for the stories he tells,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s exec VP of film and television. “‘Thelma’ represents the next evolution of his growth as a filmmaker and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of that journey.”
The Orchard is wholly owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Over the past two years, it has moved heavily into the film space, releasing the likes of “Cartel Land,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” and “Neruda.” Trier’s previous credits include “Oslo, August 31st” and “Reprise.”
The deal was negotiated by Danielle DiGiacomo, vice president of acquisitions for The Orchard, with Emilie Georges, president of Memento Films International, and Mathieu Delaunay on behalf of the filmmakers.
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