Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired U.S. rights to French chase thriller “Night Call,” the companies announced
The film is described as “a propulsive, no-holds-barred thriller that follows a young locksmith who gets way more than he bargained for after responding to an emergency call that puts him in the crosshairs of a ruthless mob boss.”
The film is the feature directorial debut of Michiel Blanchart, whose breakout short film “You’re Dead Hélène” was shortlisted for 94th Oscars for Best Live-Action Short Film. That project is set to be adapted as a stateside feature produced by Sam Raimi.
“Night Call” is produced by Boucan and Quad and stars Jonathan Feltre, Jonas Bloquet and Romain Duris. Producers are Michael Goldberg, Boris Van Gils, Margaux Marciano, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky.
Magnet plans to release the film later this year. The movie will be released in France on Aug. 28.
The official synopsis for “Night Call” is as follows: One evening, Mady (Feltre) – a student by day, locksmith by night– receives an emergency call from Claire to open a lock. But the door the young woman wants to open isn’t hers, and the bag of cash she runs away with isn’t hers either. It belongs to Yannick (Duris), a sinister crime boss who blames Mady and will stop at nothing to retrieve his stolen goods. In a city shaken by protests, Mady has only one night to prove his innocence and save his neck. What started out as an ordinary night shift turns into an action-packed, adrenaline-fueled race against dawn through Brussels’ underbelly.
“In a short period, Michiel Blanchart has demonstrated a unique vision across horror, romance, comedy, fantasy, and now a whip smart feature thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats,” Magnolia Pictures co-CEO’s Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley said in a statement to TheWrap.
“I am so excited and honored to be working with the distributor who released many of my favorite films, among them ‘The Host,’ ‘I Saw The Devil,’ ‘The Host,’ ‘Mother’ and ‘The Guilty,’” Blanchart added. “I grew up watching American movies, so it is a dream come true to have my film screening in cinemas in the U.S.”
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia Pictures SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden, and Gaumont EVP International Sales and Distribution Alexis Cassanet on behalf of the filmmakers.