Women’s Rights Drama ‘Call Jane’, Starring Elizabeth Banks & Sigourney Weaver, Pre-Sells To Raft Of International Markets

Andreas Wiseman
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: It has taken a little longer than usual due to Covid complications and an evolving market, but the virtual AFM deals are now funnelling through.

Protagonist has closed a raft of international pre-sales on women’s rights drama Call Jane, which as we revealed pre-market will star Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Sigourney Weaver (Avatar), Kate Mara (The Martian) and Rupert Friend.

SND has acquired the film for France, Paradiso for Benelux, and Sun/Diamond for Latin America, Spain and Portugal, with further deals closed in South Korea (Noori), Poland (M2), Israel (Forum Films), Turkey (Mars), Middle East (Front Row), Bulgaria (BTV), Romania (Daro), Ex Yugoslavia (MCF), and Greece and Cyprus (Spentzos).

Carol scribe Phyllis Nagy will direct the feature in which Banks will play Joy, a traditional 1960s housewife who unexpectedly falls pregnant. She then finds the Janes, an underground abortion movement led by Virginia (Weaver). The group saves her life and gives her a sense of purpose: to help other women take control of their destinies.

The Blacklist script by The Resident writers Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi is being produced by Robbie Brenner (The Dallas Buyers Club), along with Kevin McKeon and David Wulf. Pic is due to shoot next spring.

Michelle Campbell Mason and the script’s writers Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi will serve as executive producers, together with Lee Broda, Erica Kahn, and Judy Bart. Leal Naim and Thomas R. Burke are co-producing.

George Hamilton, Head of Sales at Protagonist, said: “The overwhelming response to Call Jane proves yet again that entertaining, powerful and important films will always find a good home within the international independent distribution community. We cannot wait for the cameras to roll.”

In broader AFM terms, there hasn’t been a significant domestic deal announced out of the market yet but that is in the pipeline we hear. Among titles known to have sold well overseas so far are Universe’s Most Wanted, Good Luck To You Leo Grande, Not Bloody Likely and See For Me, as we revealed, and the pair of Studiocanal titles we announced going into the market: Retribution and What’s Love Got To Do With It?

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