Benaroya Pictures has announced today that they are now on board to produce and finance director Olivier Assayas' IDOL'S EYE, with a confirmed cast that includes Robert Pattinson and Robert De Niro. Charles Gillibert developed and produced the project with CG Cinema, Bluegrass Films' Scott Stuber, Film 360's Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan and Michael Benaroya, with Ben Sachs executive producing for Benaroya Pictures. The film is scheduled to begin principal photography in October in Chicago and Toronto.
The plot elements are currently under wraps, but it has been described as a sophisticated, heist action/thriller.
International Film Trust, which was co-founded by Benaroya, will be handling foreign sales of the title heading into the summer and the Toronto International Film Festival under the helm of IFT President, Christian De Gallegos. CAA, which arranged financing for the film, will represent domestic rights along with WME.
Assayas had the English-language drama CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA playing in competition in Cannes. The film stars
Juliette Binoche,
Kristin Stewart and
Chloe Grace Moretz and was produced by Gillibert's GC Cinema.
Founded in 2013, CG Cinema is geared towards the development of directors and focused on international projects including Mia Hansen Love's film EDEN, and Jonas Cuaron's DESIERTO. Between 2006 and 2012 while at mk2, Gillibert produced and supervised distribution and sales of more than 20 films, including titles from Walter Salles, Abdellatif Kechiche,
Xavier Dolan, Abbas Kiarostami and
Gus Van Sant.
Michael Benaroya, known for high-end indie fare, has numerous upcoming projects including the highly-anticipated QUEEN OF THE DESERT directed by Werner Herzog and starring
Nicole Kidman,
James Franco,
Robert Pattinson and
Damien Lewis, and YOU SHALL KNOW YOUR OWN VELOCITY starring
Daniel Radcliffe, based on the Dave Eggers' best-selling book, to be directed by Peter Sollett. IFT has sold out all foreign territories on VELOCITY despite a 2015 start date.
Additional projects in various stages of production include CELL, the
Stephen King adaptation which is in post-production and stars
John Cusack and
Samuel L. Jackson. The company also has CYMBELINE starring
Ed Harris,
Ethan Hawke and Mila Jovovich in post-production.
Benaroya's film credits include KILL YOUR DARLINGS, starring
Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DaHaan,
Ben Foster,
Michael C. Hall,
Jack Huston, and
Elizabeth Olsen, which was released domestically last year by Sony Pictures Classics. Other titles include the romantic mystery THE WORDS starring
Bradley Cooper, and LAWLESS, starring
Shia LaBeouf. The company's financial thriller MARGIN CALL was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Best First Feature Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards.
About International Film Trust: International Film Trust (IFT) is an international sales and distribution company operated by producers for producers. With over 20 years of experience in producing, finance, international sales and distribution, IFT has the knowledge and relationships to cultivate strategic partnerships with A-list producers and filmmakers. Transparent by their design in their business practices IFT is a company that understands and honors the four pillars that sustain the global film marketplace: Creativity, Finance, Sales and Distribution.
IFT's slate includes the horror thriller EXISTS, which will be released in the U.S. by Lionsgate and was acquired from producers Robin Cowie (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), Jane Fleming (THE FROZEN GROUND), Mark Ordesky (THE LORD OF THE RINGS), Andy Jenkins, and executive produced by Reed Frerichs, Gregg Hale, George Waud and D. Todd Shepherd; the upcoming CYMBELINE starring
Ethan Hawke,
Ed Harris,
Milla Jovovich and
Dakota Johnson; YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD written by acclaimed novelist Emma Forrest and adapted from her NY Times Bestseller; comedy THE KING OF THE KASTLE starring Academy Award nominee
Jacki Weaver and
Asa Butterfield and produced by Jonathan Gordon (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK) and Michael Benaroya; and
Tod Williams' (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2) directed action thriller CELL starring
John Cusack and
Samuel L. Jackson, which is currently in post-production.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
