STXfilms, A Division Of STX Entertainment Announces First Slate For Distribution In United Kingdom

OPENS INTERNATIONAL HQ IN UK

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Feb 08, 2017, 11:15 ET

LONDON and BURBANK, Calif., Feb. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- STXfilms, a division of STX Entertainment, announces the opening of its international headquarters in London, and debuts its first motion picture slate to be distributed in the United Kingdom.

Under the leadership of David Kosse, President of STXinternational, the company has acquired UK rights for at least five highly acclaimed motion pictures to be distributed in 2017, including Breathe, directed by Andy Serkis and starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy; Home Again, the directorial debut from Hallie Meyers-Shyer that stars Reese Witherspoon, Michael Sheen and Lake Bell, among others; Wind River, starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen from lauded director Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water); Adrift, the epic and unforgettable true story of survival at sea directed by Baltasar Kormakur which is set to star Shailene Woodley; and the Untitled Nash Edgerton Project, starring Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton, Joel Edgerton and Sharlto Copley. Also coming from STXfilms in 2018 will be films including Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated The Irishman, starring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino.

"STXfilms' inaugural slate for the UK is prestigious and ambitious with world-renowned talent both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras. We could not be prouder of what we have assembled in such a short period of time," said Kosse. "With our new London headquarters, we are poised to accelerate our worldwide acquisitions, sales and international distribution."

STX's new offices are based on The Strand in Aldwych.

Added Adam Fogelson, Chairman of STXfilms, "David and his team have already hit the ground running to establish a formidable presence for STX in the UK and abroad. This is a significant first step in building up our international distribution and sales infrastructure, and we're proud to be affiliated with these outstanding filmmakers."

Tom McGrath, Chief Operating Officer of STX Entertainment, said, "We are fortunate to have someone of David's business acumen and creative taste leading the charge as we expand our business in Europe and beyond."

The company's inaugural slate is eclectic and acclaimed. Breathe is based on the true story of a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed. A heart-warming and hilarious celebration of bravery and human possibility, the film celebrates living every breath as though it could be your last. The screenplay is written by William Nicholson, who was Oscar nominated for Gladiator and Shadowlands. The film is produced by Jonathan Cavendish (Bridget Jones's Diary) and The Imaginarium Studios.

Wind River, which also stars Elizabeth Olsen and Jon Bernthal, follows a Fish and Game Department employee (Jeremy Renner) who stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl frozen in the desolate wilderness. He is enlisted by a rookie FBI agent (Olsen) unfamiliar with the terrain to help find those responsible. Peter Berg's Film 44 (Lone Survivor), Basil Iwanyk's Thunder Road (Sicario), and Matthew George's Savvy Media Holdings (LBJ) produced the film. Savvy financed Wind River along with Acacia Entertainment and Wayne Rogers' Synergics Films.

Home Again is the story of a recently separated mother of two (Witherspoon) whose new life in Los Angeles is overturned when she decides to take in three young, charismatic guys who become part of her unconventional family. The film, which is the directorial debut from Hallie Meyers-Shyer is produced by Nancy Meyers, who Kosse previously collaborated with on films including The Holiday and It's Complicated. Erika Olde from Black Bicycle Entertainment also is producing.

The Untitled Nash Edgerton's Project is an action-comedy which follows Harold, a mild mannered businessman (David Oyelowo) with a new wife and a stake in a pharmaceutical company about to go public. He seemingly has the American Dream in his grasp and then everything goes wrong. Stranded south of the border, with a price on his head, Harold discovers that the life he had never really existed in the first place. Directed by Nash Edgerton, the film also stars Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton, Yul Vazquez, and Sharlto Copley. Written by Anthony Tambakis and Matt Stone, the film is produced by Amazon Studios, Nash Edgerton, Rebecca Yeldham, Anthony Tambakis, A.J. Dix, and Beth Kono.

Adrift, with Shailene Woodley set to star, is based on the true story of Tami Oldham who, after being knocked unconscious by the most massive hurricane in the history of the Pacific Ocean, awakens to find her fiancé Richard Sharp badly injured, their boat in ruins, and no means of communication or navigation. As memories of how she wound up there begin to come back, and 1,500 miles to the nearest port, Tami must race against the clock to save herself and the only man she's ever loved. Told through the eyes of her traumatic ordeal and the flashbacks that show the beauty of how their love began, this is the incredible true story of one couple's journey of survival.

STXfilms has also secured international distribution to Martin Scorsese's true-life crime drama The Irishman. Produced by Gaston Pavlovich's Fabrica de Cine, which is fully funding the film, The Irishman is set to star Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and is based on Charles Brandt's book "I Heard You Paint Houses," which chronicles the deathbed confession of mob hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and his role in the disappearance and death of legendary Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. Academy Award-winner Steve Zaillian wrote the screenplay. The film reunites Scorsese and DeNiro for the first time since 1995's "Casino," and it will be the first time Pacino is working with Scorsese.

About STXfilms

STXfilms is a division of STX Entertainment, a global next-generation media company whose mission is to unlock the value of the direct connection stars have with their fans through the development, financing, production, marketing and distribution of film, television, VF, digital video, music and live entertainment content. It is the industry leader in transforming beyond traditional platform-driven content to creating talent-driven enterprises.

The company is led by accomplished businessman Robert Simonds and was co-founded by Bill McGlashan, managing partner of the leading global private investment firm TPG. Other investors include Hony Capital, a leading private equity firm in China; PCCW, Southeast Asia's largest Internet and cable services provider; Tencent Holdings, China's leading provider of online products and services; Dominic Ng, Chairman of East West Bank; DNS Capital (representing the business interests of Gigi Pritzker and her immediate family); and Beau Wrigley, former Chairman and CEO of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, among others. With these strategic relationships, the company is uniquely positioned to maximize the impact of content worldwide, with direct passage into the China market.