eOne Makes New Round of Sales for The Hunter

TORONTO/SYDNEY: Entertainment One (eOne) has scored a slew of new sales for the psychological drama The Hunter, which stars Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Francis O’Connor.

The movie, produced by Vincent Sheehan of Porchlight Films, has been sold to the U.S. (Magnolia), Canada (eOne), the U.K. (Artificial Eye), Japan (BMS), Germany (Ascot Elite), Greece (Strada), Turkey (Umut Sanat) and Bulgaria/Romania (New Films). Further sales for the title include Poland (Kino Swiat), Indonesia/Vietnam (PT Parkit), India (Pictureworks) and the Middle East (ECS Film Distribution). The movie is in active negotiation for Benelux, Scandinavia and Latin America as well.

Directed by Daniel Nettheim, The Hunter features Dafoe as a mercenary hired by a bio-tech firm to track down a rare animal called the Tasmanian Tiger in the remote wilderness. The movie is being released in Australia by Madman Entertainment on October 6 on more than 50 screens.

eOne’s executive VP of international sales, Charlotte Mickie, said: "We’re thrilled by the international response to The Hunter, but not surprised. The movie has so much to offer. It’s gorgeously shot, a tautly wrought thriller, an exploration of our exploitation of the environment and a sensitive examination of the psychology of a loner who finds a family and a conscience. We know all these distributors will find a tremendous home audience for The Hunter."

"International buyers and critics have been mesmerized by the beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness and captivated by outstanding filmmaking," added Paul Wiegard, the managing director of Madman Entertainment.

Sheehan commented: "Willem Dafoe delivers a beautiful and measured performance as an outsider, which has allowed our story to travel internationally while remaining distinctly Australian."