Bleecker Street has landed North American rights to “Across the River and Into the Trees,” an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s last full-length novel.
Liev Schreiber and Josh Hutcherson will star in the film, which will release exclusively in theaters in the fall. News of the sale was announced at the Cannes Film Festival.
Paula Ortiz (“The Bride”) directed “Across the River and Into the Trees,” which takes place in post-WWII Italy. Schreiber plays American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell, a bona fide hero who remains haunted by the war. As he faces news of illness with stoic disregard, he’s determined to spend a week in quiet solitude and commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell’s plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a remarkable young woman begins to rekindle in him the hope of renewal.
Matilda De Angelis and Danny Huston co-star in the film, which was adapted by Peter Flannery (“The Devil’s Mistress”).
“Across the River and Into the Trees” is produced by Robert MacLean and Michael Paletta for Tribune Pictures, alongside John Smallcombe, Kirstin Roegner, Ken Gord, and Spring Era Films executives Jianmin LV and Daxing Zhang.
Executive producers include William J. Immerman, Laura Paletta, David Beckingham, Justin Raikes, Simon Fawcett, Jonathan Taylor, Hani Musleh, Harel Goldstein and Rick Romano. Andrea Biscaro is the Italian line producer.
The deal was brokered by Kent Sanderson and Avy Eschenasy on behalf of Bleecker Street, with Brian O’Shea of the Exchange and UTA Independent Film Group for the filmmakers.
Bleecker Street, an independently financed studio based in New York City, has a history of supporting female filmmakers with 80% of its 2023 slate consisting of movies directed by women. Among those titles are Frances O’Connor’s drama “Emily,” Catherine Hardwicke’s comedic thriller “Mafia Mamma” and Laurel Parmet’s coming-of-age story “The Starling Girl.”
Bleecker’s upcoming slate consists of Alice Troughton’s “The Lesson,” Meg Ryan’s “What Happens Later” Guy Nattiv’s “Golda” starring Helen Mirren as Israel’s former prime minister.