“Silent Night,” a dark comedy and drama starring Keira Knightley that’s premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, has been acquired by AMC+ and AMC’s distribution arm RLJE Films.
The film will be released this December in time for the holidays. It centers on a family gathering for Christmas dinner on the night before mankind’s imminent destruction. The film will be released day-and-date both in theaters through RLJE and on streaming on AMC Networks’ premium streaming service, AMC+.
“Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn is a producer on “Silent Night” along with Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray. The movie is the directorial debut of writer Camille Griffin.
“Silent Night” follows a group of old friends who – in true British fashion and while the rest of the world faces impending doom – reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home. Burdened with the inconvenience of mankind’s imminent destruction, they adopt a stiff upper lip, crack open another bottle of prosecco and continue with their festivities. But no amount of stoicism can replace the courage needed for their last night on Earth.
Starring alongside Keira Knightley is a cast that includes Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Ṣọpé Dìrísù, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Rufus Jones and Trudie Styler.
“With a focus on growing original and exclusive content for AMC+, we’re excited to partner with RLJE Films to bring ‘Silent Night’ to a broad audience across both streaming and theatrical as we continue to meet viewers wherever they are and optimize exposure for great content,” Courtney Thomasma, general manager for AMC+, said in a statement. “Camille Griffin and this all-star cast have created a film that’s emotional, funny and thought-provoking – exploring universal themes of friendship and love, class and privilege – and we are thrilled to add it to our robust lineup of high-quality, character-driven dramas and films this year.”
“’Silent Night’ is completely original and a true achievement for Camille Griffin in her feature writing/directorial debut,” Mark Ward, chief acquisitions officer for RLJE Films, said. “The film could not be more timely in asking audiences, in a comedic yet honest way, what sacrifices they would be willing to make for the good of their family and humanity at large.”
“’Silent Night’ treads its own unique path and finding the right distributor was akin to finding a school for our naughty child. I wanted to know our film would be in safe, loving hands and I know it will be with AMC+ and RJLE Films,” Griffin said. “I am hugely grateful to TIFF that my first feature will premiere at their festival.”
“Silent Night” is executive produced by Claudia Vaughn, Peter Morton, Stephen Marks, Carlos Peres, Adam Bohling, David Reid, Hélène Théodoly, Audra LaBrosse and Pietro Greppi with co-producer Greg McManus.
The deal was negotiated by Ward on behalf of RLJE Films and AMC+ with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers. Endeavor Content is handling international sales at TIFF.
Other distributors for “Silent Night” include Altitude (UK), Metropolitan (France), Leone (Italy), Capelight Pictures (Germany), Sena (Iceland), Salim Ramia (Middle East), Bir Film (Turkey), Paradise (CIS), Nonstop Entertainment (Scandinavia), Empire (South Africa), Ascot Elite (Switzerland), Spentzos (Greece), Falcon (Indonesia), Presidio (Japan), Cai Chang (Taiwan), BF Distribution/Paris Filmes (LatAm).