Cannes was HanWay’s best market ever

VARIETY – 11th June By DIANA LODDERHOSE

LONDON — London-based sales outfit HanWay Films has closed a slew of territory deals for its current slate of films, including selling both Jude Law starrer “Dom Hemingway” and Nick Hornby adaptation “A Long Way Down” to Lionsgate in the U.K.

Hanway reported that it has locked in excess of 200 deals across its entire Cannes slate, marking the outfit’s most successful market in the company’s history.

In addition to Lionsgate’s U.K. acquisition, “Dom Hemingway,” which is skedded to lense in September, was snapped up in Australia (Transmission), CIS (DT Productions), Latin America (Swen), Scandinavia (Mis. Label), Israel (United King), Turkey (Mars Distribution), Middle East (Front Row), ex-Yugoslavia (Cinemania), Hungary and Romania (Pro Rom), Czech Republic (AQS), South Korea (KT&G) and Taiwan (Catchplay).

“A Long Way Down,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Toni Collette, also sold to DCM for German-speaking Europe, Svensk in Scandinavia and Benelux Film Distributors in Benelux.

Pic, which is set to be helmed by Pascal Chaumeil (“Heartbreaker”) and produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, also sold to Latin America (Swen), Israel (United King), Poland (Best Film), Czech Republic and Hungary (EEAP), ex-Yugoslavia (Cinemania) and Middle East (Front Row).

Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska starrer “Carol,” produced by Number 9 Films, sold to TF1/UGC in Gaul, Icon in Australia, Swen in Latin America, Cinemien in Benelux and Monopole Pathe in Switzlerand.

And HanWay secured a number of notable territory deals for Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive,” Martin McDonagh’s “Seven Psychopaths,” Michael Hoffman’s “Girls Night Out” and Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Me and You,” which screened out of competition in Cannes.

Meanwhile, Daniel Stamm’s supernatural thriller “The Darkness” went to Icon in the U.K. (to be funneled through Lionsgate U.K.), and Koch in Germany amongst others, while Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd comedy “Lucky Dog,” Dustin Hoffman-helmed “Quartet,” “Kon Tiki” and Mike Newell’s “Great Expectations” and “God Help the Girl” all locked a raft of international territorial deals.

“Our final Cannes results are incredibly rewarding and we couldn’t be more pleased to have achieved such record figures,” said HanWay m.d. Thorsten Schumacher. “Not only have we more than doubled our sales from last year’s Cannes, but we’ve also had the most financially successful market in our company’s history.”