‘Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’ Sells to Sony Pictures Classics Ahead of TIFF Premiere
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired rights to “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The studio will distribute the film in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and on worldwide airlines.
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Laura Piani wrote and directed “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” which stars Camille Rutherford (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Pablo Pauly (“Three Nights a Week”), Charlie Anson (“Downton Abbey”) and Annabelle Lengronne (“Mother and Son”). The film is about Agathe, a desperately single woman who dreams of experiencing love akin to those in novels like ‘Persuasion,” “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice.” She dreams of becoming a writer but instead spends her days selling books at Shakespeare & Company in Paris. After she’s invited to the Jane Austen Writers’ Residency in England, she confronts her insecurities to finally fulfill her ambition of becoming a novelist and put an end to wasting her sentimental life.
“We are thrilled to see this film entrusted to Sony Pictures Classics, a studio with a rich history of bringing Jane Austen’s world to life on screen,” said The Bureau Sales, who negotiated the deal with SPC. “Their extensive experience with such stories ensures that Laura Piani’s debut will be handled with the utmost care and expertise. We look forward to the film’s journey and are confident that it will be a worthy addition to SPC’s distinguished legacy.”
Before tackling her first film, Piani has worked as a screenwriter and script consultant for the television series “Philharmonia”and movie “Into the World.”
“I […] am thrilled for ‘Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’ to start reaching audiences around the globe,” she said in a statement.
Sony Pictures Classics says they’ve been “interested in this project for some time” before landing rights.
“Jane Austen has become a bit of a rock star in the marketplace and a new modern take as high in quality and warm and winning as ‘Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’ is sure to be embraced by theatrical audiences,” the studio wrote in a statement.
Financiers behind the film include French broadcasters Canal+ and Cine+, regional funds Pictanovo (Région Hauts-de-France) and Région Ile-de-France, Sofica IndeFIlms 12, French distributor Paname Distribution and international sales agent The Bureau Sales.
“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” premieres at TIFF on Sept. 9. The festival runs from Sept. 5-15.
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