Jake Gyllenhaal, Ansel Elgort and Zendaya To Star In Brian Helgeland’s “Finest Kind”
- Details
- Parent Category: Entertainment
- Published on Saturday, 10 February 2018 06:08
Academy Award® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, Golden Globe® nominee Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) and breakout star Zendaya have stepped aboard the new crime thriller Finest Kind, which was written and will be directed by Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland.
Finest Kind will be produced by Gary Foster (Denial, The Soloist, Sleepless in Seattle) and Russ Krasnoff (Denial, The Soloist) under Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment, Imperative Entertainment's Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas, and Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker under their Nine Stories banner.
30WEST is financing the film. STXinternational, a division of STX Entertainment, will handle international distribution for the film and introduce to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market. STXinternational will also directly distribute the film in the UK and Ireland.
Finest Kind is a crime thriller about two brothers (Gyllenhaal and Elgort) who strike a dangerous deal with a crime syndicate that draws them into the Boston underworld. As pressures mount, sacrifices must be made and bonds—between brother and brother and between father and sons--put to the test.
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Producer Gary Foster said: "Brian and I have dreamed about making this film together for a long time. Brian's directorial vision and powerful screenplay which draws on his experiences growing up in the tough town of New Bedfrod, Mass., has attracted a stellar cast lead by Jake, Ansel and Zendaya. I couldn't be more thrilled!"
David Kosse, President of STX international said, "Reteaming with Imperative and 30WEST is another great opportunity to bring quality filmmaking to the international marketplace. Brian Helgeland is the perfect director to capture the grit and emotion of this phenomenal cast. It's a great collaboration on every level and I could not be more delighted to be working alongside such an exciting group of filmmakers."
Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award® for his performance in Brokeback Mountain. He recently wrapped production on The Sisters Brothers for Jacques Audiard and starred in David Gordon Green's Stronger, which was also produced by Nine Stories. Elgort received a Golden Globe® nomination for his performance in Edgar Wright's Baby Driver for Sony and is currently in production on John Crowley's The Goldfinch for Warner Bros.
Zendaya recently starred in Michael Gracey's acclaimed musical The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams and Zac Efron; she is currently in production on the animated feature Smallfoot for Warner Bros; and starts production on the new Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel later this year.
Helgeland won an Academy Award® for Best Screenplay for L.A. Confidential and was nominated in the same category for Mystic River. He wrote and directed 42 starring Chadwick Boseman for Warner Bros.
Imperative Entertainment, 30WEST and STXinternational previously collaborated on Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World, which earnedChristopher Plummer an Academy Award® nomination for his star turn in the highly acclaimed film released by Sony's TriStar Pictures in the U.S. and STXinternational's distribution partners around the globe.
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30WEST is co-financing Nisha Ganatra's comedy Late Night, starring Academy Award® Winner Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, which is also being produced by Imperative Entertainment.
Since its launch in 2016 led by international veteran David Kosse, STXinternational has crafted a formidable slate that includes the upcoming productions Mile 22 from director Peter Berg starring Mark Wahlberg, Adrift starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin and The Happytime Murders starring Melissa McCarthy. The company's dynamic slate also includes, Peppermint starring Jennifer Garner and Second Act starring Jennifer Lopez and Vanessa Hudgens.
Nine Stories is a New-York based production company founded by Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker in 2015. The company most recently produced David Gordon Green's "Stronger," inspired by a true story and based on The New York Times bestseller of the same name, and the upcoming film "Wildlife," which centers on the story of a teenage boy who witnesses the decay of his parents' marriage after their move to Montana.
Helgeland is represented by CAA, Gyllenhaal is represented by WME. Elgort is represented by CAA and Brookside Artist Management. Zendaya is repped by CAA and Monster Talent Management.
CAA and Endeavor Content are repping the U.S. rights on behalf of 30WEST.
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About 30WEST
With offices in Los Angeles and New York, 30WEST provides capital and strategic guidance to high caliber creative projects and forward-thinking companies operating throughout popular culture. Its media practice works with filmmakers to guide every stage of creative packaging, providing direct capital investment for production, sales, distribution and licensing in order to maximize production quality and audience reach. 30WEST was founded in 2017 by Dan Friedkin and Micah Green.
Most recently in Sundance, 30WEST partnered with Bleecker Street to buy the U.S. rights to Wash Westmoreland's Colette starring Keira Knightley and arranged the partnership between NEON and AGBO Films to buy Assassination Nation, directed by Sam Levinson.
30WEST recently acquired a majority stake in NEON and partnered with them to co-finance marketing and distribution of the acclaimed feature I, Tonya. In addition, they financed Karyn Kusama's Destroyer, starring Nicole Kidman, and Peter Hedges' Ben Is Back, starring Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges, both which are currently in production. This spring 30WEST will release the film Beast with Roadside Attractions, which premiered to acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival and most recently enjoyed its US premiere at Sundance.
About Imperative Entertainment
Founded in 2014, Imperative Entertainment is an innovative entertainment studio located in Santa Monica, CA. With a keen eye for bold and powerful storytelling that captivates and excites audiences, Imperative develops, produces and finances original & branded entertainment focusing on film, television and documentaries. The company is currently behind projects such as the Academy Award® nominated All the Money in the World (Best Supporting Actor), Academy Award® nominated and 2017 Palme d'Or® winning film The Square, and Arizona, which recently premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
ABOUT NINE STORIES
Nine Stories is a New-York based production company founded by Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker in 2015. The company is dedicated to working with visionary storytellers in all fields and across all mediums. Nine Stories produced David Gordon Green's "Stronger," inspired by a true story and based on The New York Times bestseller of the same name, which was released in September to rave reviews. Nine Stories recently produced the acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece "Sunday in the Park with George," starring Gyllenhaal and Tony-winner Annaleigh Ashford. The company also produced "Wildlife," Paul Dano's directorial debut starring Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan which premiered at Sundance. Their next film into production will be directed by Luca Guadagnino and financed by StudioCanal.
Gyllenhaal's previous producing credits include David Ayer's "End of Watch" and Dan Gilroy's "Nightcrawler," which was nominated for numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and winning Independent Spirit Awards for Best Screenplay and Best First Feature. Some of Marker's previous credits include the Academy Award-nominated "The Kids Are All Right;" "What Maisie Knew;" "Hello, My Name is Doris," and the Peabody Award-winning film "Beasts of No Nation," written and directed by Cary Fukunaga.
ABOUT STXinternational
STXinternational is a division of STX Entertainment, a global, next-generation media company whose mission is to unlock the value of the direct connection stars have with their fans through the development, financing, production, marketing and distribution of film, television, VR, digital video, music and live entertainment content. It is the industry leader in transforming beyond traditional platform-driven content to creating talent-driven enterprises.
The company is led by accomplished businessman Robert Simonds and was co-founded by Bill McGlashan, managing partner of the leading global private investment firm TPG. Other investors include Hony Capital, a leading private equity firm in China; PCCW, Southeast Asia's largest Internet and cable services provider; Tencent Holdings, China's leading provider of online products and services; Liberty Global, the world's largest distribution platform; Dominic Ng, Chairman of East West Bank; DNS Capital (representing the business interests of Gigi Pritzker and her immediate family); and Beau Wrigley, former Chairman and CEO of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, among others. With these strategic relationships, the company is uniquely positioned to maximize the impact of content worldwide, with direct passage into the China market.
