By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

IFC FILMS ACQUIRES THRILLER BREAKING THE GIRLS FOR U.S. FROM MYRIAD PICTURES

Posted Monday, September 10th, 2012 - Comments Off on IFC FILMS ACQUIRES THRILLER BREAKING THE GIRLS FOR U.S. FROM MYRIAD PICTURES
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Madeline Zima, Agnes Bruckner and Shawn Ashmore star in film from Director Jamie Babbit

New York, NY (September 10, 2012) – IFC Films has acquired from Myriad Pictures the U.S. distribution rights to director Jamie Babbit’s thriller BREAKING THE GIRLS, starring Madeline Zima (CALIFORNICATION), Agnes Bruckner (BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE) and Shawn Ashmore (X-MEN: THE LAST STAND). Written by Mark Distefano and Guinevere Turner (AMERICAN PSYCHO), the film was produced by Myriad’s Kirk D’Amico (MARGIN CALL) and Andrea Sperling (LIKE CRAZY, KABOOM). Peter Abrams (WEDDING CRASHERS, VAN WILDER) and Robert Levy (WEDDING CRASHERS, VAN WILDER) of Tapestry Films serve as Executive Producers.The film will have a limited theatrical in the U.S.

BREAKING THE GIRLS is the story of a university student Sara (Bruckner) who, when slandered by a hostile classmate, is befriended by the manipulative Alex (Zima) who proposes the perfect, untraceable crime – to kill each other’s archenemies.  When Alex actually goes through with it, Sara finds herself being framed for murder.  The film also stars John Stockwell (CHEATERS), Kate Levering (DROP DEAD DIVA), and Shanna Collins (CINEMA VERITE).

“Myriad is thrilled to continue its long and positive relationship with IFC Films on this project,” stated Myriad CEO Kirk D’Amico. “Jamie Babbit and I are looking forward to working with the excellent team at IFC to make this film available to many of Jamie’s admirers who have been waiting to see this film for some time. We loved working with our extraordinary cast and we are blessed with the result of a very provocative and unique film.”

The deal was negotiated by Myriad’s Kirk D’Amico and Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Co-Production, for Sundance Selects/IFC Films.  Myriad is selling the film in Toronto this week.

About The Cast and Crew

Jamie Babbit is an accomplished film and television director. She has directed episodes for many hit television series including; “Drop Dead Diva” (which she also produced), “The United States of Tara”, “90210”, “Dirty Sexy Money”, “Gilmore Girls”, “Nip/Tuck” and “Malcolm in the Middle”.  Babbit’s film directing credits include the thriller The Quiet, starring Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle, which was released by Sony Screen Gems, and  popular cult classic But I’m A Cheerleader, starring Natasha Lyonne.

Madeline Zima began her acting career when she was 7 years old. She has appeared in such hit television series as “Gilmore Girls”, “7th Heaven”, “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Nanny” with Fran Drescher.  Zima had a feature role in the hit series “Heroes”, but it was her role opposite David Duchovny as Mia Lewis in “Californication” that earned her special notices. She appeared in the feature film ensemble comedy The Family Tree and the thriller The Collector and will soon be seen in the feature films Stuck, Long Time Gone, Crazy Eyes and Olivier Dahan’s My Own Love Song, in which she stars opposite Renee Zellwegger.

Agnes Bruckner starred on the daytime television drama “The Bold and the Beautiful” and went on to appear in episodes of “24”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Private Practice” and “Hawaii 5-0”. Bruckner starred in the feature film Blood and Chocolate and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in Blue Car.  She will soon be seen inThe Pact, The Citizen and The Baytown Disco, also starring Billy Bob Thornton.

Shawn Ashmore appeared on numerous television episodes as a child actor, but his break came when he was cast as Bobby Drake, the Ice Man, in the original X-Men movie.  His performance earned him larger roles as the Ice Man in X2 andX-Men: The Last Stand.  Ashmore appeared in the horror film The Ruins and Frozen, which was released by Anchor Bay Films. He is starring in the horror film The Day, which had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011.

John Stockwell is a writer, producer, director, actor who has appeared in numerous feature films including Top Gun, Oliver Stone’s Nixon, and Eddie and the Cruisers. John wrote and directed the surfing movie Blue Crush starring Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez, and directed Into the Blue starring Jessica Alba. Stockwell received an Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie for the television movie Cheaters.

Kate Levering began her career as a dancer and starred in the Broadway show “42nd Street”. She was nominated for the Tony Award® for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.  She received the Fred Astaire Award® for Best Female Dancer.  She began her acting debut in television by guest starring on “CSI: Miami” and “Medium”. She is currently a featured cast member on the Lifetime series ‘Drop Dead Diva’ which is entering its fourth season.

Shanna Collins has appeared on many television programs including “Wildfire” and “Swingtown.” In 2011, Shanna appeared in the HBO Films Emmy Award® winning film “Cinema Verite”. She can next be seen in the indie comedy Sassy Pants starring Haley Joel Osment.

Andrea Sperling, has produced over 35 films, including Gregg Araki’s Kaboom; The Quiet, starring Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle; Harsh Times, starring Christian Bale; But I’m A Cheerleader, starring Natasha Lyonne;  D.E.B.S. starring Jordana Brewster and The Doom Generation. In 1999 Sperling was nominated for a Producer’s Award by the Independent Spirit Awards.  Sperling produced Like Crazy starring Anton Yelchin which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and Nobody Walks, starring John Krasinski and Olivia Thirlby.

About IFC FILMS

Established in 2000 and based in New York City, IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of quality talent-driven independent film.  Its unique distribution modelmakes independent films available to a national audience by releasing them in theaters as well as on cable’s Video On Demand (VOD) platform, reaching nearly 50 million homes. Some of the company’s successes over the years have included My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Touching the Void, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Gomorrah, Che, Summer Hours, Antichrist, In the Loop, Antichrist, Wordplay, Cairo Time,Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Tiny Furniture and Carlos.  Over the years, IFC Films has worked with established and breakout auteurs, including Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Miranda July, Lars Von Trier, Gaspar Noe, Todd Solondz, Cristian Mungiu, Susanne Bier, OlivierAssayas, Jim McKay, Larry Fessenden, Gregg Araki, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, as well as more recent breakouts such as Andrea Arnold, Mia HansenLove, Corneliu Porombiou, Joe Swanberg, Barry Jenkins, Lena Dunham, Aaron Katz, Daryl Wein and Abdellatif Kechiche. In December 2012 IFC Films will release ON THE ROAD starring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst with Sundance Selects. IFC Films is a sister division to Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.

About MYRIAD PICTURES

Based in Santa Monica, California, Myriad Pictures is a leader in the independent financing, production, distribution and worldwide sales of major motion pictures and television programming. Owned and founded in 1990 by President and CEO Kirk D’Amico, the company holds an impressive and diverse library of filmed programming.

Myriad is selling the following titles in Toronto:

INESCAPABLE –A 2012 Toronto International Film Festival Gala Premiere, Marisa Tomei, Josh Jackson and Alexander Siddig star in this thriller about a man whose daughter is kidnapped in Damascus.  His past puts her future – and her life – in jeopardy.  Directed by Ruba Nada (Cairo Time).

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY, HIS STORY and HER STORY – Two films telling one story, from the perspectives of a husband and wife.  Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy star. The film was shot this summer in NYC.

 WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH MARGIE? – Elizabeth Banks stars in this dark comedy from Academy Award® winning Screenwriter Alan Ball. Margie, a downtrodden office worker, hatches a plan to get back at her co-workers becoming more confident in each success.

KNIFE FIGHT – Rob Lowe plays a political campaign consultant with a “winning is everything” approach in this comedy that takes a look behind the scenes at the nasty tactics he uses to beat his opponents. Also starring “Modern Family’s” Julie Bowen and Jamie Chung, the film is directed by Bill Guttentag and co-written by Guttentag and former Bill Clinton advisor Chris LeHane.  The film had its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival Wednesday, April 25, 2012, and will be released in the U.S. by IFC.

NOBODY WALKS – This well-received 2012 Sundance Jury Award-winner stars John Krasinski (“The Office), Olivia Thirlby and Rosemarie DeWitt, and was directed by Ry Russo-Young. Magnolia will release the film theatrically in the U.S. in October 2012.  The film had its World Premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.

~ David Simon