Bleecker Street has acquired the North American rights to “The World to Come,” a period drama and romance starring Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby that made its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
“The World to Come” is directed by Mona Fastvold and won the Queer Lion Award at the festival and the Fanheart3 Award. Bleecker Street has yet to set release plans.
“The World to Come” is set in the mid-19th century along the frontier of America’s Eastern shorlines and follows Waterston and Kirby as two farm wives who form an intense love affair apart from their husbands, even as they battle hardship, isolation from the outside world and are challenged both mentally and physically.
Casey Affleck and Christopher Abbott co-star in the film. Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard wrote the screenplay. Affleck is also a producer on the film along with Whitaker Lader, Pamela Koffler, David Hinojosa, Margarethe Baillou.
Kirby was pulling double duty at Venice and also starred in the drama “Pieces of a Woman,” which was recently acquired by Netflix and also played at Toronto.
“The World to Come” is a production of Sea Change Media, Killer Films and M.Y.R.A. Entertainment, in association with Hype Film, Charades, Yellow Bear Films, Panasper Films Ltd. and Ingenious Media. The film’s executive producers are Christine Vachon, Peter Touche, Jamie Jessop, Andrew Morrison, Carole Baraton, Yohann Comte, Pierre Mazars, Ilya Stewart, Murad Osmann, and Pavel Buria.
The deal was negotiated by Kent Sanderson and Avy Eschenasy on behalf of Bleecker Street and UTA Independent Film Group, Endeavor Content and ICM Partners on behalf of filmmakers.
Variety first reported the news of the sale.