Bleecker Street has bought a new thriller starring Julie Delpy, Richard E. Grant and Daryl McCormack.
“The Tutor” marks the feature directorial debut of Alice Troughton, who’s known for directing TV shows such as “Baghdad Central,” “A Discovery of Witches” and “The Midwich Cuckoos.”
Written by Alex MacKeith, “The Tutor” follows an aspiring young author, hungry for recognition and success, who takes a tutoring position at a legendary writer’s estate. Soon, the young tutor realizes he is engulfed in his hero’s complicated family legacy, which holds a deadly past and threatens his own future. The film is billed as “a high-class thriller” that examines class, ambition and the lengths people will go to achieve — and cling to — social status.
Bleecker Street, which has picked up U.S. rights, is planning a 2023 theatrical release.
Poison Chef’s Camille Gatin, Jeva Films’ Cassandra Sigsgaard, Egoli Tossell Pictures’ Judy Tossell and Constellation Prods.’ Fabien Westerhoff are producing the film.
Bleecker Street’s Andrew Karpen and Kent Sanderson will executive produce, with Miranda King serving as an associate producer and overseeing for the studio. London and Paris-based Film Constellation is handling worldwide sales with production beginning in Hamburg, Germany, on June 13.
Grant was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” with Melissa McCarthy for Fox Searchlight Pictures. He will soon be seen in “Persuasion” alongside Dakota Johnson.
Meanwhile, Delpy — who starred in and co-wrote the “Before Sunrise” movies — recently wrote, produced, starred in and directed the Netflix series “On the Verge.”
McCormack is best known for his role as Isaiah in BBC’s hit series “Peaky Blinders” as well as Amazon’s “The Wheel of Time.” He can next be seen in the upcoming “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” with Emma Thompson.
The deal was brokered between Bleecker Street’s head of acquisitions Kent Sanderson and Miranda King, with Avy Eschenasy on behalf of Bleecker Street alongside Fabien Westerhoff from Film Constellation on behalf of the filmmakers.
Grant is represented by Curtis Brown Group and WME. Delpy is repped by Tavistock Wood and CAA and McCormack is repped by Hamilton Hodell, WME and Echo Lake Entertainment. Troughton by Independent Talent Group and The Gersh Agency.
The film is a Germany-U.K. official co-production through the European Convention and production has been supported by the MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) and the U.K. Global Screen Fund, which is financed by the U.K. government and administered by the BFI.
Earlier this week, Bleecker picked up the U.S. rights to Frances O’Connor’s “Emily,” starring Emma Mackey, out of Cannes. Other recent acquisitions include Catherine Hardwicke’s “Mafia Mamma” starring Toni Collette, which is currently in production.