IFC Films acquired the U.S. rights to “The Riot Club,” which premieres Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Lone Scherfig-directed film stars Max Irons and Sam Claflin as two first-year Oxford University students determined to join the infamous club, where reputations can be immediately made or destroyed. Producers include Pete Czernin and Graham Broadbent of Blueprint Pictures with the support of the BFI Film Fund, Film4 and Pinewood. Co-stars include “Game of Thrones” featured player Natalie Dormer, Douglas Booth and Jessica Brown Findaly.
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Laura Wade adapted the film’s script from her 2010 play, “Posh.”
The deal was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, SVP of Acquisitions from Sundance Selects/IFC Films with Thorsten Schumacher of HanWay Films on behalf of the filmmakers. IFC Films is a sister label to IFC Midnight and Sundance Selects, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
“Lone is an expert storyteller and this film is a darkly gleeful expose of the British elite unlike anything before it,” says Jonathan Sehring, president of Sundance Selects/IFC Films.
Scherfig previously directed Anne Hathaway in “One Day” (2011) and Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard in “An Education” (2009). The Danish director also has ties to Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg’s avantgarde film movement, Dogme 95.
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Irons, the 28-year-old son of famed British actor Jeremy Irons, recently starred in the BBC historical drama “The White Queen” and Andrew Niccol’s “The Host,” an adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s young adult novel. Claflin played Finnick Odair alongside Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” His character will return in both “Mockingjay” sequels.
“The Riot Club” premieres at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival Saturday, Sept. 13.