Soda Pictures nabs “The 9th Life of Louis Drax,” “Southside With You”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Soda Pictures has acquired U.K. distribution rights on Miramax titles “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” and “Southside With You”, Variety reports.

“Louis Drax” marks the screenwriting debut of Max Minghella, whose acting credits include “The Social Network” and “The Internship.” Adapted from the Liz Jensen bestseller and directed by Alexandre Aja (“The Hills Have Eyes”), the film stars Jamie Dornan (“50 Shades of Grey”), Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Sarah Gadon (“Dracula Untold”), Oliver Platt (“X-Men: First Class”), Molly Parker (“House of Cards”), Barbara Hershey and Aiden Longworth (“A Christmas Story 2”) in the titular role.

“Louis Drax” tells the story of a brilliant doctor drawn into a mysterious web of reality and deception after the near fatal fall of 9-year-old Louis Drax.

Aja, Minghella, Tim Bricknell and Shawn Williamson produced with Miramax’s Zanne Devine and Rosanne Korenberg serving as executive producers. The film will open in U.K. theaters in September.

“Southside With You” is inspired by the first date of Barack and Michelle Obama in Chicago in 1989. Parker Sawyers (“Snowden,” “Zero Dark Thirty”) and Tika Sumpter (“Ride Along 2,” TV’s “The Haves and Have Nots”) star as the future U.S. President and First Lady. It was written by Richard Tanne, who also makes his directorial debut.

The movie is produced by Robert Teitel (“Men of Honor,” the “Barbershop” franchise), Sumpter and Tanne, with Stuart Ford, Matt Jackson, Glendon Palmer, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Carrie Holt De Lama, Tracey Bing, and Miramax’s Zanne Devine and Rosanne Korenberg serving as executive producers. Legend also produced and performs the end title song for the film, “Start.”

Earlier this year Miramax acquired North American and U.K. rights from entertainment studio IM Global, which fully financed the film.

“Southside With You” will be released theatrically in the U.K. in October.