The Weinstein Company will domestically distribute director Antoine Fuqua‘s “The Man Who Made It Snow,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and co-finance with IM Global, the heads of the companies said on Thursday.
The biopic written by Brett Tabor and Michael Kingston tells the story of notorious 1980s cocaine smuggler Max Mermelstein, who was the only American alive, at the time, ever admitted to the inner circle of the Colombian cocaine cartel. The project, which is produced by Fuqua Films, IM Global, and Gyllenhaal, is based on the deceased drug smuggler’s best-selling autobiography of the same name.
The drug drama reunites Fuqua and Gyllenhaal, who teamed up for upcoming TWC release “Southpaw,” which is also based on the true story. The sports drama tells the tale of lefty boxing champ Billy “The Great” Hope who fights his way to redemption after a devastating tragedy.
“Snow” is also the first film from Fuqua Film’s overall relationship with IM Global, an independent film and TV financing, sales and distribution studio. Production is scheduled to begin later this year. No release date has been announced.
The deal between TWC and IM Global was negotiated by David Glasser and Michal Steinberg for TWC and by IM Global CEO Stuart Ford and General Counsel Deborah Zipser on behalf of IM Global. CAA brokered the deal on behalf of Fuqua Films and IM Global.
“We’re always delighted with the opportunity to team up with Stuart and the IM Global team, who have an understanding of filmmaking and distribution like no one else in the business,” Weinstein Company co-chair Harvey Weinstein said. “It’s also of course a thrill to be partnering yet again with the immensely talented Antoine and with Jake, an actor who time and time again wows us with his fearlessness.”
