Focus Features has acquired the U.S. rights to The Place Beyond the Pines, the new drama from director Derek Cianfrance, starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes. Focus CEO James Schamus and president Andrew Karpen made the announcement today at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie is having its world premiere.
Focus acquired the rights from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (SKE), which financed the movie and which was represented at Toronto by Jim Tauber and Nick Hanks, with WME Global and Creative Artists Agency acting as sales agents. International sales to the feature are being handled by Sierra/Affinity.
The Place Beyond the Pines, opening in 2013, was written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder. The movie was produced by Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell through their Electric City Entertainment, Alex Orlovsky through his Verisimilitude, and SKE’s Sidney Kimmel; Patricof, Howell, and Orlovsky previously produced the award-winning Blue Valentine, directed by Cianfrance and starring Gosling and Michelle Williams. The new movie’s executive producers are Tauber, Matt Berenson, and SKE’s Bruce Toll.
The film powerfully explores the consequences of motorcycle rider Luke (Gosling)’s fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Cooper), and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.
The cast of The Place Beyond the Pines also includes Rose Byrne (“Damages“), Mahershala Ali (“Treme“), Emory Cohen (“Smash“), Dane DeHaan (Chronicle), Gabe Fazio, Bruce Greenwood (Flight), Ray Liotta (Killing Them Softly), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises), and Harris Yulin (Scarface).
Schamus and Karpen said, “Derek Cianfrance has made a bold, epic, and emotionally generous saga, once again showing a master’s hand in eliciting searingly beautiful performances from the actors with whom he collaborates.”
Cianfrance commented, “The Focus team’s ability to work in partnership with writers and directors is known and respected by the film community. Their passion for this very personal project is why I know they are the right home for our new movie.”
Tauber added, “Sidney Kimmel and I are convinced that the entire Focus team understands the uniqueness of Derek’s bold and daring film, and that they provide the perfect home for the filmmaking group.”
