Sony Pictures Will Distribute The Film Internationally
Jack Black and James Marsden Comedy Made Its World Premiere At This Week’s Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY, UTAH (January 25, 2015) – IFC Films announced today from the 2015 Sundance Film Festival that the company is acquiring U.S. rights to Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel’s comedy THE D TRAIN, with plans to roll the film out in theaters nationwide this year. The film, with an original screenplay by Paul and Mogel, stars Jack Black, James Marsden, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kathryn Hahn and Kyle Bornheimer. THE D TRAIN was produced by David Bernad, Mike White, Jack Black, Priyanka Mattoo, Ben Latham-Jones and Barnaby Thompson.
“Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel prove with this film that they have arrived as one of the great new filmmaking teams in Hollywood. They have crafted a smart, sensitive and hilarious film which features a terrific ensemble, led by the immense talent of Jack Black and James Marsden,” says Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films. “Our team fell in love with this film and we are planning to put the full weight of the studio behind it with the goal of rolling the film out in theaters across the country.
This is the first acquisition for IFC Films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, who came to the festival just one year ago with Richard Linklater’s Academy Award nominated film BOYHOOD. BOYHOOD, which also received an aggressive theatrical release over the summer and is still in theaters, has now grossed nearly $25 million theatrically. THE D TRAIN will follow a similar theatrical rollout with another aggressive social media and marketing campaign.
In the film, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) is the overly enthusiastic head of his high school reunion committee and also the group’s laughingstock. To impress his so-called friends, he vows to convince their most famous former classmate—Oliver Lawless (James Marsden), the star of a national Banana Boat TV commercial—to attend the reunion to increase attendance. Dan travels to Los Angeles and spins a web of lies, igniting an intoxicating excitement for the first time in his humdrum life. In exchange for Oliver’s precarious friendship, Dan sacrifices his relationships with his wife, son, and boss, and loses himself in his obsession for approval and recognition
The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, SVP of Acquisitions from Sundance Selects/IFC Films with UTA Independent Film Group and WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ label Stage 6 Films picked up the film at the start of production and will distribute the film internationally.
THE D TRAIN premiered this weekend in the U.S. Dramatic Competition Section of the festival.
IFC Films is a sister label to IFC Midnight and Sundance Selects, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
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About IFC Films
Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of quality talent-driven independent film. Recent IFC Films successes include Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linklater, and Michael Winterbottom’s THE TRIP TO ITALY starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Some of the company’s notable releases over the years have included Joel Zwick’s MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, Michael Moore’s FAHRENHEIT 9/11, Lena Dunham’s TINY FURNITURE, Noah Baumbach’s FRANCES HA, and Alfonso Cuaron’s Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN. IFC Films is a sister label to Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.