Werc Werk Works Finds a ‘Darling Companion’ in Sony Pictures Classics

07.27.11

New York, NY (July 27, 2011) – Sony Pictures Classics has preemptively acquired all domestic rights to Lawrence Kasdan’s DARLING COMPANION from production company Werc Werk Works, it was announced today by Sony Pictures Classics and Werc Werk Works CEO Elizabeth Redleaf. DARLING COMPANION is written by Meg Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars Kevin Kline, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, Ayelet Zurer and Sam Shepherd. The film is produced by Anthony Bregman for Likely Story, Lawrence Kasdan for Kasdan Pictures and Elizabeth Redleaf for Werc Werk Works. Christine Walker, Meg Kasdan and John Kelly served as executive producers.

In DARLING COMPANION, Beth (Keaton) saves a bedraggled lost dog from the side of the freeway on a wintry day in Denver. Struggling with her distracted, self-involved husband Joseph (Kline) and an empty nest at home, Beth forms a special bond with the rescued animal. When Joseph loses the dog after a wedding at their vacation home in the Rockies, the distraught Beth enlists the help of the few remaining guests and a mysterious young woman (Zurer) in a frantic search. Each member of the search party is affected by the adventure, which takes them in unexpected directions – comic, harrowing, and sometimes deeply emotional. Sony Pictures Classics plans a 2012 release for DARLING COMPANION. The deal was negotiated by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) on behalf of Werc Werk Works with Sony Pictures Classics. CAA, which represents Kasdan and Kline, also arranged financing for the film. Sierra / Affinity is handling the licensing of the foreign rights to DARLING COMPANION.

“Over nearly two decades, Sony Pictures Classics have been championing original and creative films with great sensitivity,” says Elizabeth Redleaf, CEO of Werc Werk Works. “I can’t imagine a better home for the wonderful talents of Lawrence Kasdan and his terrific cast.” “The moment we heard Lawrence Kasdan was making an independent film we wanted to become involved. He and Meg Kasdan have written a seamless screenplay, full of rich characters played by some of America’s finest actors. DARLING COMPANION promises to be the kind of warm, engaging movie audiences are clamoring to see right now. Producers Elizabeth Redleaf and Anthony Bregman are exceptional at what they do and we are thrilled to be in business with them and, of course, finally with the estimable Larry Kasdan,” states Sony Pictures Classics. “We’re all delighted that Sony Pictures Classics will be distributing DARLING COMPANION in the U.S.,” says Kasdan. “Michael and Tom have consistently demonstrated an unparalleled feel for reaching the audience for which we made the movie.” Adds Anthony Bregman, “Darling Companion is a movie about finding and sticking with the right partners, and we’ve found ours with SPC. They get this movie and they know this audience like no one else.”

About Werc Werk Works Werc Werk Works is an independent film production and finance company founded by Elizabeth Redleaf and Christine Kunewa Walker. Launched in August 2008 and based in Minnesota, the company is dedicated to the production and financing of high caliber, story-driven films with wide appeal. In addition to “Darling Companion,” Werc Werk Works’ productions include the upcoming “Thin Ice,” starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup; “HOWL” written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and starring James Franco as Allen Ginsberg; “Life During Wartime,” written and directed by Todd Solondz and Bela Tarr’s award winning “The Turin Horse.”

About Sony Pictures Classics Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world. Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 27 Academy Awards® (23 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 114 Academy Award® nominations (93 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. About Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Kasdan, a four-time Oscar© nominee, has directed eleven films, among them: BODY HEAT, THE BIG CHILL,THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, GRAND CANYON, WYATT EARP and DREAMCATCHER. In addition, he has written or co-written four of the most successful films in motion picture history – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI and THE BODYGUARD. THE BIG CHILL and THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST were both Oscar©-nominated for Best Picture. THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST was named Best Picture of 1988 by the New York Film Critics and GRAND CANYON received the Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 1992 Berlin Film Festival. Meg Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan’s script for GRAND CANYON was nominated for an Academy Award© for Best Original Screenplay.

About Likely Story Likely Story is a New York-based production company founded by Anthony Bregman in October 2006. The company is currently in post production on three films: Stephen Frears’ “Lay The Favorite,” Lawrence Kasdan’s “Darling Companion,” and Julian Farino’s “The Oranges.” A fourth film, Jesse Peretz’s “Our Idiot Brother,” will be released by The Weinstein Company in August 2011. Recent Likely Story productions include Nicole Holofcener’s “Please Give” (Sony Pictures Classics); Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman’s “The Extra Man” (Magnolia); Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York” (Sony Pictures Classics); Alex Rivera’s “Sleep Dealer” (Maya Releasing); and David and Alex Pastor’s “Carriers” (Paramount Vantage). Bregman’s previous producing credits include “Friends with Money,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Lovely & Amazing,” “Thumbsucker,” “The Tao of Steve,” “The Savages,” “Trick,” “The Ice Storm,” “The Brothers McMullen,” and “Human Nature.” Likely Story recently signed a first look deal with graphic novel and comic book publisher Top Shelf Productions, and has output deals with Village Roadshow Pictures and Svensk Filmindustri.

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