Patrick Wachsberger’s company 193 has successfully expanded its market reach with its first presentation at the Cannes Film Festival. The lineup featured Lynne Ramsay’s much-discussed Cannes premiere Die My Love starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, along with Colman Domingo’s directorial debut Scandalous!
After closing a $24 million deal covering multiple territories with Mubi, 193 has secured distribution for Die My Love across various regions. The territories include the Baltics (GPI), CIS countries (Provzglyad – Vesta), Hong Kong (Golden Scene), Indonesia (Falcon Films), Israel (Forum Film), Japan (The Klockworx), the Middle East (Italia Films), Mongolia (FilmBridge), the Philippines (Pioneer Films), Poland (Vision Film), Portugal (NOS Audiovisuais), Scandinavia (NonStop Entertainment), and the Balkan states of Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro (KCS).
The narrative of Die My Love is adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s 2017 novel and features LaKeith Stanfield, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte alongside Lawrence and Pattinson. The film unfolds in rural America, depicting the harrowing descent of a married woman (played by Lawrence) into severe post-natal depression, with Pattinson portraying her husband and Stanfield as her imaginary lover.
Scandalous! will feature Sydney Sweeney and David Jonsson, and explores the tumultuous real-life romance that defied societal norms during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Set in 1957, it tells the story of film star Kim Novak (Sweeney), famous for her role in Vertigo, and entertainment icon Sammy Davis Jr. (Jonsson), a member of the Rat Pack. Their interracial relationship incites controversy amidst the restrictive societal norms of Jim Crow America, attracting the attention of the mafia, causing panic among studio executives, and placing even their close friend Frank Sinatra in a precarious position.
International distribution deals for Scandalous! have been secured across territories such as Australia/New Zealand (Village Roadshow), the Baltics (GPI), Benelux (Belga Films), Eastern Europe (Monolith Films), Greece (The Film Group), Israel (Forum Film), Italy (Rai Cinema), Latin America (Sun Distribution Group), Mongolia (FilmBridge), the Philippines (Pioneer Films), Portugal (Pris Audiovisuais), Scandinavia (Nordisk Film), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), Spain (DeAPlaneta Entertainment), Turkey (Fabula Films), and the UK (Entertainment Film Distributors).
At the same festival, 193 also presented The Surgeon, an action-packed film starring Michelle Yeoh, directed and written by Roshan Sethi, and The Toxic Avenger, a comedic remake of the 1984 cult classic by Troma Entertainment, directed by Macon Blair.
The Surgeon follows a retired surgeon (Yeoh) who is kidnapped and coerced into performing surgery on an unknown patient. Despite being outnumbered, she uses her 35 years of surgical expertise to stage a daring and violent escape, showcasing a unique blend of medical knowledge and combat tactics.
The film has been sold to various countries including Australia/New Zealand (Umbrella Entertainment), the Baltics (ACME Film), Benelux (18K), CIS (Unicorn Media), Eastern Europe (Unicorn Media), Greece (The Film Group), Israel (United King Films), the Philippines (Pioneer Films), Portugal (NOS Audiovisuais), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), Spain (DeAPlaneta Entertainment), and Turkey (Fabula Films).
The Toxic Avenger, with a screenplay also penned by Blair based on Lloyd Kaufman’s original, stars Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, Julia Davis, and Taylour Paige. It has found distribution in territories including Australia/New Zealand (Umbrella Entertainment), CIS (Golem Films), Germany/Austria (Wild Bunch AG), Greece (The Film Group), Israel (Golem Films), Italy (Eagle Pictures), Japan (Nikkatsu Corporation), the Middle East (The Plot Pictures), the Philippines (Pioneer Films), Poland (Vision Film), Scandinavia (NonStop Entertainment), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), Spain (Vertigo Films), and the UK (Signature Entertainment).
“We are immensely proud to see our slate resonate so strongly at Cannes,” stated Wachsberger, CEO of 193. “Securing global sales for four high-profile films, one of which has already enjoyed a successful premiere, demonstrates the robustness of our storytelling and the confidence our international partners have in our offerings. This marks a stellar beginning for our company and foreshadows the exciting projects we plan to bring forward.”
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
