Decal, a new independent distributor that launched earlier this year, has acquired the worldwide rights to “Ride the Eagle,” a comedy starring and co-written by Jake Johnson.
The “New Girl” star wrote “Ride the Eagle” along with director Trent O’Donnell, and the film stars Susan Sarandon, J.K. Simmons and D’Arcy Carden. Decal plans to release the film in theaters, on demand and on digital on July 30, 2021.
Johnson in “Ride the Eagle” plays Leif, whose estranged mother Honey (Sarandon) dies and leaves him a “conditional inheritance.” Before he can move into her picturesque Yosemite cabin, he has to complete her elaborate, and sometimes dubious, to-do list. Leif and and his dog Nora must step into Honey’s wild world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy.
O’Donnell, Johnson and Carden also produced “Ride the Eagle” along with Joe Hardesty and Huey Park. Daniel Haworth, Pete Williams and Billy Bungeroth served as co-producers of the film
“In the midst of the pandemic, while missing everyone, Trent O’Donnell and I wanted to make a movie about people coming together,” Johnson said in a statement. “We also want to introduce the greatest actor of our generation: my dog Nora.”
“We are beyond thrilled to be part of the wild and wonderful world that is ‘Ride the Eagle,’” Decal’s Ayo Kepher-Maat and Sara Castillo said in a statement. “Jake Johnson and his equally lovable ensemble have crafted a surefire summer crowd-pleaser, and we’re delighted to bring this to audiences the world over.”
The deal was negotiated by Decal’s Senior Vice President, Ayo Kepher-Maat with UTA on behalf of the filmmakers.
Decal launched this year as a film distribution company handling home entertainment rights, and the company’s first standalone acquisition was “Gaia,” a film by Jaco Bouwer. Some of the company’s home releases include Bleecker Street’s comedy “Together Together,” Neon’s “In the Earth” and the Nicolas Cage thriller “Pig.”