A24 has acquired U.S. rights to Paul Schrader’s highly-acclaimed thriller First Reformed, starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried. It made its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival, followed by screenings at Telluride and Toronto. A24 plans a 2018 release.
Schrader is known for his screenplays for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, as well as directing films like the Academy Award-winning Affliction. First Reformed is a thriller centered around Ernst Toller (Hawke), a mysterious Reverend based in a small town in upstate New York. When Toller is approached by Mary (Seyfried), a pregnant woman struggling with a seemingly unstable, radical activist husband, he gets embroiled in a treacherous scenario that forces him to confront his troubled past and drives him to increasingly dangerous and shocking behavior.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the brilliant, one-of-a-kind Paul Schrader on this deeply provocative and hypnotic new film. First Reformed is at once an intimate character study and an expansive and profound look at some of the most universal questions of our time, all told through one man’s riveting and unforgettable personal journey. We’re incredibly excited to bring this masterful achievement out into the world, and to draw attention to Ethan Hawke’s remarkable performance at its center.”
The producers are Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Frank Murray, Jack Binder, Greg Clark, Victoria Hill, Gary Hamilton, and Deepak Sikka. The production companies are Killer Films, Fibonacci Films, Omeira Studio Partners, and Arclight Films. Arclight is handling international rights to the project with CAA co-repping North America.
