Sony Pictures Classics Grabs TIFF Hit ‘Maggie’s Plan’

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired distribution rights in North America to “Maggie’s Plan,” as well as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, CIS, Hungary, Romania, China and various other Asian territories. 

One of the hits of the recent Toronto International Film Festival, the fifth feature from “Personal Velocity” writer-director Rebecca Miller, by far her funniest, is based on a story by Karen Rinaldi. The New York romantic comedy will also play at the New York Film Festival, which gets under way on Saturday.

This witty comedy of manners stars Greta Gerwig as a 30-something academic who seeks to have a child on her own. She arranges for a sperm donation from a handsome friend but winds up in love with a professor (Ethan Hawke) who is writing a book and raising two children but not feeling supported by his careerist wife (Julianne Moore). Needless to say, complications ensue, and this well-matched, smart cast carries off this amusing plot with aplomb. 

Miller produced the movie with Rachael Horovitz and Damon Cardasis; executive producers are Philip Stephenson and Temple Williams of Freedom Media, Lucy Barzun Donnelly and Alexandra Kerry of Locomotive, Michael J. Mailis and Susan Wrubel of Hyperion Media. CAA and Cinetic Media wielded bids from multiple buyers, but Sony Pictures Classics, which scooped up Julianne Moore’s Oscar-winner “Still Alice” at last year’s Toronto, closed the deal. 

SPC will release the film in 2016; along with NYFF closer “Miles Ahead,” believing that the spring is the best time to launch the Miles Davis biopic. They have plenty on their 2015 award season plate, including awards-contenders “The Lady in the Van” (December 4 limited) starring Maggie Smith, which played well at Toronto, as well as James Vanderbilt’s journalism expose “Truth,” starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford (TomatoMeter 76%), and Cannes prize-winner and Hungarian Oscar entry “Son of Saul” which is a critics’ fave.  Less stellar were TIFF reviews for Tom Hiddleston vehicle “I Saw the Light,” in which he plays country crooner Hank Williams. 

Not in the bidding was Fox Searchlight, which released its own Gerwig vehicle, “Mistress America,” to underwhelming results this August. Hawke had a strong Toronto Fest, as he also scored raves in Chet Baker biopic “Born to Be Blue,” which is entertaining offers; Moore co-starred with Ellen Page in Lionsgate’s lesbian drama “Freeheld” (October 2), which is currently at 44% on the TomatoMeter.