The ever-talented Rashida Jones makes her writing debut with co-writer Will McCormack on Celeste and Jesse Forever, which has been rapturously received at Sundance in the past few days. Our man in the States, Ty Cooper, was lucky enough to catch the film at its world premiere, and you can read his five-star review of the film here.
I was really hoping (and quietly expecting) that the film would be picked up soon following its great reception, and Collider are reporting that my hopes have been fulfilled! Sony Pictures Classics have acquired the film for distribution, granting them all North American, Latin American, and Eastern European rights to the film.
Notably, this of course leaves its UK rights with a question mark for the time being, but fear not. In the past, the vast majority of the films they’ve released in recent years have been picked up for UK distribution too, so hopefully we’ll have news on that front soon too.
Sony Pictures Classics recent credits include Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In, Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter with Michael Sheen, Roman Polanski’s Carnage, Duncan Jones’ Moon, and many, many more films that have also received UK releases. So I’d say we can certainly (perhaps quietly, so as not to jinx anything) expect that the film will get a UK release too.
Directed by Lee Toland Krieger, and co-written by the Jones and McCormack, the film is led by Jones and Andy Samberg, with a great supporting cast that includes Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts, Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, and McCormack too. No word yet on when to expect a release, but with a bit of luck, we should be seeing this before the end of the year. I’m already excited, and am really hoping it will be coming to the London edition of Sundance in April – the first time the festival is coming to the UK. Here’s the full press release for your perusal, which includes the film’s synopsis:
“NEW YORK, NY (January 24, 2012) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all North American, Latin American and Eastern European rights to the film CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER. The film, directed by Lee Toland Krieger (THE VICIOUS KIND) and co-written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, is produced by Jennifer Todd and Suzanne Todd of Team Todd and Lee Nelson of Envision Media Arts, who also financed the film. The deal was negotiated by UTA’s Independent Film Group.
CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER was one of the most talked about films at the festival and debuted in the Premiere Section of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Chris Messina, Ari Graynor, Will McCormack, Emma Roberts, and Elijah Wood.
CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER is about two people who met in high school, married young and are growing apart. Now thirty, they decide to get divorced and attempt to stay best friends while pursuing other relationships. This plan is not as simple as they had imagined.??Celeste—imperious, successful and driven– is convinced that divorcing the boyish Jesse is the right thing to do. Jesse passively accepts this transition into friendship, even though he still is in love with her. As the reality of their separation sets in, Celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship. But her timing with Jesse is less than fortuitous. While navigating the turbulent changes in their lives and in their hearts, these two learn that in order to truly love someone, you may have to let them go. The film is a humorous and honest examination of a broken heart and the long, hard road it takes to heal it.
“No recent movie is more current, more perceptive, or more fun than CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER. Lee Toland Krieger has made a major film. The cast is superlative and it is an obvious labor of love for Rashida Jones and Will McCormack that delivers on all levels. We are excited to be in business with Jennifer Todd, Lee Nelson and our friends at UTA,” said Sony Pictures Classics.
Producers Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd and Lee Nelson add, “We are thrilled our film has found a home with Sony Pictures Classics and are incredibly excited to work with Michael, Tom and Dylan. Their track record is unparalleled and we feel very lucky to have our film with them.””
