Film4 & Fox Searchlight Pictures co-finance film by Martin McDonagh

9 February 2016

Film4 and Fox Searchlight Pictures have entered into an agreement to co-finance Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with producer Blueprint Pictures, it was announced today by Director of Film4 David Kosse and Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents, Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley.

Martin McDonagh’s script attracted Film4 at an early stage and the project will be produced by McDonagh’s long-time producing partners, Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin at Blueprint Pictures alongside McDonagh. Filming is set to start in April 2016 on location in North Carolina.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri will be financed on a 50/50 basis by Film4 and Fox Searchlight Pictures, with the studio taking worldwide distribution rights. Film4’s parent company Channel 4 Television will retain UK TV rights. Film4 and Fox Searchlight Pictures expect this deal to be a template for future collaboration, looking to finance more films together in this way on a non-exclusive basis.

Film4, McDonagh and Blueprint first worked together on the critically acclaimed In Bruges for which McDonagh received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and won a BAFTA for Original Screenplay in 2008. They next collaborated on the BAFTA nominated Seven Psychopaths, starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken in the ensemble cast.

Fox Searchlight Pictures and Blueprint have also maintained their own very successful relationship via the production of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films (with a combined worldwide box office of $225m).

David Kosse said; “I’m delighted that through our shared passion and taste on several recent projects, we have come up with a mutually rewarding way for Film4 and Fox Searchlight to work together. They are a fantastic distribution partner to have on your side and we look forward to working closely with them and our friends at Blueprint over the next few months to help bring Martin’s darkly comic writing and directing genius to audiences around the globe.”

“We are proud to be continuing the tradition of bringing some of the best in UK filmmaking to worldwide audiences and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Film4,” said Utley and Gilula. "Martin is a great talent and we're thrilled to be working with Graham and Pete again."

“It seems like a perfect way to make a film: Martin’s genius and the amazing support and reach provided by Film4 and Fox Searchlight.” said Broadbent.

CAA and Broadbent brokered the rights deal with Fox Searchlight Pictures and Kosse and Harry Dixon negotiated the co-finance deal with Fox Searchlight Pictures on behalf of Film4.

*ENDS*

ABOUT FILM4:

Film4 is Channel 4 Television’s feature film division. Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for working with the most distinctive and innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established.  

Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the most successful UK films of recent years, Academy Award-winners such as Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges and Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady in addition to critically-acclaimed award-winners such as Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Chris Morris’ Four Lions, Shane Meadows’ This is England, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin and David Mackenzie’s Starred Up.

Film4’s recent releases include; Lenny Abrahamson’s Room, Todd Haynes’ Carol, Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster, Asif Kapadia’s box office record breaking documentary Amy, Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth.

Forthcoming releases include; Susanna White’s Our Kind of Traitor, Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise and Free Fire, Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Benedict Andrews’ Una and Andrea Arnold’s American Honey.

For further information visit www.film4.com/productions

 

ABOUT FOX SEARCHLIGHT

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of 21st Century Fox.