Editor

Belgian Box Office sales gross €2.6 million

Erik Van Looy’s English and Flemish-language feature film has been snapped up across a multitude of territories including: Trade Media for France; DDDream for China; Aya Pro for Japan; Discovery for Former Yugoslavia and Viswas Films for India. A further raft of territories are also in late stage negotiations including Turkey, Middle East and Italy, with deals soon to be announced.  The deals arrive hot on the heels of recently secured sales for the film to Square One for Germany, Flins Y Piniculas for Spain, Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD) for Belgium and Dutch Film Works for Holland.

Following its theatrical release with Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD) in Belgium five weeks ago, the Flemish version of The Prime Minister has taken €2.6 million at the Box Office. 

Starring Koen de Bouw (Loft, The Last Tycoon, Salamander), Dirk Roofthooft (Loft, The Storm, The Memory of a Killer), Saskia Reeves (Our Kind of Traitor, Wolf Hall, Anna) and Adam Godley (The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Theory of Everything), The Prime Minister is directed by Erik Van Looy (The Loft, The Alzheimer Case) with screenplay by Erik Van Looy and Carl Joos. Producer credits include FBO’s Hilde De Laere (Loft), co-produced with Woestijnvis and Mill Street Films with the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Screen Flanders, Screen.Brussels, the Belgian Taxshelter for Filmfinancing and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive.

Shot and set in Brussels, The Prime Minister follows the story of the Belgium Prime Minister who, on his way to a summit meeting, is hijacked, his driver killed whilst he is kidnapped.  Soon, he learns that his wife and children are being held hostage and that they will only survive if he kills the person he is due to meet at 3pm… the President of the United States.

The deals were brokered by The Works International’s Head of International Sales, Clare Crean, together with Sales and Marketing Executive, Edrianne Wenger.

Head of International Sales, Clare Crean, said: “There’s been a tremendous amount of buzz about this picture and buyers have been quick to recognise its broad commercial appeal. Van Looy has made a name for himself in the thriller genre and this slick and stylish thriller with humorous touches and a melodramatic edge certainly delivers. We are enormously pleased with its performance in Belgium and we hope audiences will continue to devour it around the world.”