Black Bear has acquired rights to “Wicker,” a twisted romantic drama starring Olivia Colman as an ostracized woman who commissions a local basketmaker to weave her a husband.
Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer (“Save Yourselves!”) directed from a script they adapted from the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills. Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki star in the movie alongside Colman. The sale comes a month after “Wicker” premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
“We are thrilled to be sharing the incredible work of Olivia, Alexander, Peter, Elizabeth and the whole cast and crew with a wider audience, and feel so fortunate to be partnering with a company who really gets it,” said Wilson and Fischer. “The team at Black Bear have led our conversations with a true passion for the film and a fearlessness that we all need from distributors in this moment.”
Though a release date hasn’t been set, Black Bear said “Wicker” will be released in theaters this year.
“We were immediately struck by the sheer originality of ‘Wicker.’ From its storytelling to the best-in-class performances led by Olivia, this is a film that refuses to be ignored,” said Katie Anderson, executive VP of US Acquisitions for Black Bear. “It’s provocative, darkly funny, and unexpectedly tender in all the right ways. We’re thrilled to bring this bold vision to audiences across North America.”
“Wicker” was financed by Tango and Topic Studios. Tim Headington, Lia Buman, Ryan Heller and Michael Bloom served as producers alongside a slew of names including Colman via her production company South of The River, Ed Sinclair, and Tom Carver, Yoki, Inc’s David Michôd and Brad Zimmerman, and Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel for Votiv, as well as Andrea Cornwell and Oliver Kassman. Executive producers include Ian Stratford, Jasmine Daghighian, Jennifer Westin, Neil Shah, Max Silva, and Lina Stroud.
CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group arranged the film’s financing and represented the film’s domestic rights. Black Bear is handling international sales and will be releasing the film in the U.K.
Black Bear, a production company that recently extended into distribution, has a slate that includes director Daniel Roher’s heist drama “Tuner,” starring Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman; Guy Ritchie’s action thriller “In the Grey,” led by Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza Gonzalez; and comedy “Spa Weekend,” featuring Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, and Anna Faris.