Following its debut at Sundance earlier in the month, Lenny Abrahamson’s anticipated comedy Frank has found a home in the US at Magnolia Pictures.
Deadline reports that the distributor has acquired North American rights to the film, and will be eyeing a release this summer.
The first clip from the film surfaced just ahead of its bow out in Park City, giving an ingenious little taste of the film.
Frank is a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon, who discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew when he joins a band of eccentric pop musicians led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank and his terrifying sidekick, Clara. Frank’s uniqueness lies in the fact that he makes music purely for the joy of creating…and because he wears a giant fake head. After a rocky start, Jon ingratiates himself with the band members, and they retreat to a cabin in the woods to record an album. As his influence waxes, creative tensions mount, and the band’s entire raison d’être is called into question.
Domhnall Gleeson leads the cast as the young wannabe musician, Jon, joined by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender in the leading trio, with Fassbender of course starring as the eponymous Frank, and Scoot McNairy completing the ensemble nicely.
Abrahamson (What Richard Did) directs from a script co-written by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and author Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare at Goats), with the latter making his debut as a screenwriter.
Magnolia is coming off the back of another great year, with 2013 seeing them release the acclaimed documentary Blackfish, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, Tobias Lindholm’s A Hijacking, Joe Swanberg’s Drinking Buddies, and David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche, to name but a few. They already have Lars von Trier’s anticipated Nymphomaniac: Volumes I and II and Jon S. Baird’s Filth on their slate for the year, and have also recently acquired US theatrical and VOD rights to Joe Swanberg’s follow-up, Happy Christmas, starring Anna Kendrick out in Park City.
Frank is due to be released in the UK and Ireland on 2nd May, and is now set to be released by Magnolia sometime this summer in the US.
Park City, UT (January 24, 2014) – The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired North American rights to FRANK, an offbeat comedy that just had its world premiere to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (What Richard Did, Garage, Adam & Paul), the film was written by Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare At Goats) and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). FRANK stars Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gylenhaal, Scoot McNairy and Michael Fassbender as the titular character, a brilliant and eccentric musician who wears a giant fake head at all times.
FRANK was produced by Ed Guiney, David Barron and Stevie Lee, and executive producers are Tessa Ross, Katherine Butler, Andrew Lowe and Nigel Williams. FRANK is an Element Pictures/Runaway Fridge production for Film4, BFI, Protagonist Pictures and the Irish Film Board.
Gleeson plays Jon, a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins a maverick pop band led by the enigmatic Frank (Fassbender)—a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head—and his terrifying sidekick Clara (Gyllenhaal). It is a fictional story loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the persona of cult musician and comedy legend Chris Sievey, as well as other outsider musicians like Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart.
“All of us at Magnolia were completely taken with FRANK,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “It reaffirms the considerable talents of Lenny Abrahamson, who has delivered a beautiful, poignant and hilarious film that speaks on many levels about being an artist. That Michael Fassbender can be so affecting while encased in a papier-mâché head proves that he is one of the greatest actors working today.”
Speaking from Park City Lenny Abrahamson said: “I’m delighted that FRANK has found a home in the US with Magnolia. Eamonn Bowles was an early fan of my first film, Adam & Paul, and I know that the team there has a genuine passion for FRANK. Along with their skill and experience this makes them the right partners to bring the film to its audience here.”
Producer Ed Guiney said “Magnolia is an incredibly innovative and exciting company and we have long wanted to work with them. They are the perfect partners for FRANK and we could not be happier that we have landed with them and we are very excited about their plans for the US.”
The deal was negotiated for Magnolia by SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley and Director of Acquisitions John Von Thaden, with WME and Protagonist Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers. Protagonist is handling worldwide sales.
Magnolia is eyeing a summer 2014 theatrical release for the film.
