“Last Meals,” the Mads Mikkelsen and Boyd Holbrook starring drama from Oscar-nominated writer-director Ramin Bahrani (“The White Tiger”), has given international buyers something of an appetite.
The project — based on the AMPAS Nicholl Award-winning screenplay by Justin Piasecki (“Relay”) — has sold globally for HanWay Films, which launched the film at the recent market in Cannes.
Completed sales from Cannes include Japan with Synca Creations; Benelux with Paradiso Filmed Entertainment; Australia with Transmission Films; Spain with Vertigo Films; Japan with Synca Creations; Ukraine with Active Cinema Group; Singapore with Shaw Renters; Greece with The Film Group; and the Baltics with Acme Film. Forum Film Ltd have bought multiple territories including: Israel, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Airlines are with Skeye Inflight Entertainment.
Sentient Entertainment have confirmed deals with partners Square One in Germany and Austria and Scanbox in Scandinavia.
HanWay Films launched international sales in Cannes, while UTA Independent Film Group and Sentient Entertainment are handling the North American sale.
The prison drama — set to start principal photography in Ireland later this year — explores the ideas of guilt, the death penalty, and redemption, all through the lens of food of the highest order, and the world’s most infamous meal: the Ortolan.
“Last Meals” will see Palme d’Or winner Mikkelsen (“Another Round,” “Casino Royale, “The Hunt”) play Walter Karat, a former White House Chef whose fall from grace lands him in the kitchen of a maximum security prison cooking for death row inmates. Boyd Holbrook (“A Complete Unknown,” “Logan,” “The Bikeriders”) will play Jeffrey Reed, a death row inmate who decides to go on a hunger strike and whose constant rejection of his meals frustrates him at every turn. Their animosity reaches a boiling point until Walter confronts Reed, triggering an unexpected deeper connection — Walter starts to believe Reed is innocent. As the two bond, Walter is determined to find out the truth.
Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Renée Tab (“Sound of Freedom,” “Cosmopolis,” “Maps to the Stars”) packaged the film and will produce for Sentient Entertainment. Christopher Tuffin (“Alphas,” “Freelance”) of Strong Island will also produce.
Executive Producers include Charles Porter of Black Bench Productions, Kelly Price of Blessed From Above, Karan Hoss of Hoss Productions and Jeeny and Michael Miller of Miller Way. Mickkelsen, Bahrani, Piasecki and Holbrook will also executive produce. Sentient has partnered with Todd Slater and Brandon Evans on behalf of Brick Lane, who will serve as the production service company in Ireland. Ari Novak will oversee production. Principal photography will commence in the fall in Dublin.
“Ramin and Mads have brought their own imprint on the story and there is a lot of confidence from the market which has delivered a fantastic set of distribution partners for the film,” said Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films.
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