RADiUS is proud to announce one of the first major acquisitions of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, with North American rights to THE LAST 5 YEARS, Richard LaGravenese’s (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA) big screen adaptation of the 2002 Off-Broadway musical by Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown. Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan (“Smash”) star in LaGravenese’s highly anticipated film.
THE LAST 5 YEARS will celebrate its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 7th at 8:30PM at the Ryerson Theater.
The film’s two stars are no strangers to the musical community. Kendrick previously received a Tony Award nomination for High Society, and is well known for her wildly popular role in PITCH PERFECT, the upcoming PITCH PERFECT 2 and INTO THE WOODS. She also had a top ten song on the US Billboard Hot 100 with “Cups” which peaked at #6 on the chart. Tony nominated Jordan, best known for his roles in the Tony Award winning musical Newsies and his scene stealing performance in “Smash”, currently stars in the Broadway bound musical, Finding Neverland (a TWC Production). THE LAST 5 YEARS was produced by Lauren Versel of Lucky Monkey Pictures, Kurt Deutsch of Sh-K-Boom Records and Janet Brenner. Richard LaGravenese is also a producer.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS is a musical chronicling a love affair and marriage taking place over a five year period. Jamie Wellerstein (Jordan) is a young, talented up and coming novelist who falls in love with Cathy Hiatt (Kendrick), a struggling actress. Their story is told almost entirely through song. All of Cathy's songs begin at the end of their marriage and move backwards in time to the beginning of their love affair, while Jamie's songs start at the beginning of their affair and move forward to the end of their marriage. They meet in the center when Jamie proposes.
RADiUS has slated a Valentine’s Day 2015 release.
According to RADiUS co-presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego: “For the romantic of heart, THE LAST 5 YEARS is a love story that delivers across the board. Richard has done an extraordinary job with Jason Robert Brown’s music and lyrics. Anna Kendrick continues to impress – what a voice! and, Jeremy Jordan is bound for stardom. Those familiar with the show will be thrilled with the faithful adaptation and audiences everywhere are in for a real treat.”
LaGravenese says: "THE LAST FIVE YEARS" has been one of the greatest creative experiences I've ever had. Working in the independent film world with such extraordinary talent gave me the freedom to make the movie I wanted. And now to have RADiUS as our distributor is really a lucky break. RADiUS is at the forefront of re-inventing film distribution for today's audiences.”
Jason Robert Brown reiterated: “What started as the tiniest spark of an idea fifteen years has now blossomed into this miracle of a movie that gets so deeply and honestly into the souls of the characters I created. I couldn’t be happier with what Richard, Anna and Jeremy have brought to life, and I couldn’t be happier that it’s found a home at exactly the right company.”
The film’s producers go on to say: "We are very excited to be teaming with RADiUS, an innovative distribution company with a creative and bold vision for reaching new audiences for Richard Lagravenese's stunning and highly original film. We were fortunate to work with Richard, Jason, Anna, Jeremy and the rest of our fantastic creative team to bring Jason's beloved musical to the screen. We can't wait to share this gem with audiences."
Quinn and Janego negotiated the deal with CAA. The Exchange is selling international at TIFF. The production is represented by attorneys Iddo Arad and Hayden Goldblatt of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC.
ABOUT RADIUS
RADiUS is the boutique label of the Weinstein Company (TWC) and the first studio division dedicated to both multi-platform VOD and theatrical distribution. Utilizing both traditional and digital media, RADiUS-TWC brings the highest quality films and other specialty entertainment to a wider audience than ever before. Founded and led by Tom Quinn and Jason Janego, the label continues to develop innovative distribution strategies to make marquee content available to consumers where, when and how they want it. The label’s inaugural slate included such films as BACHELORETTE (the first multi-platform film to hit #1 on iTunes and the only multi-platform release to ever reach #4 for top Cable VOD performers) and Cannes competition entry ONLY GOD FORGIVES directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling and Kristen Scott Thomas. Recent releases include: Morgan Neville's Oscar winner 20 FEET FROM STARDOM; Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s LOVELACE; Zachary Heinzerling’s Oscar nominated CUTIE AND THE BOXER (Sundance 2013 U.S. Documentary Directing Award), Jacob Kornbluth’s INEQUALITY FOR ALL (Sundance 2013 U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award) and Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut – MAN OF TAI CHI in which he also stars. In 2014, RADiUS’ slate features (among others): Bong Joon Ho’s runaway hit SNOWPIERCER, BLUE RUIN (winner of the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival), Errol Morris’ THE UNKNOWN KNOWN, FED UP from Laurie David and Katie Couric, THE ONE I LOVE starring Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass (Sundance), Alexandre Aja's HORNS starring Daniel Radcliffe (Toronto), Berlin titles: EVERLY (Salma Hayek), WHEN ANIMALS DREAM, and ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST (Benicio Del Toro) as well as two time Tribeca Film Festival winner KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON and BEYOND THE BRICK: A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY. The company is embarking on a CREEP trilogy alongside the Duplass brothers and Blumhouse Productions after the film’s highly praised SXSW premiere and recently announced it had acquired SXSW Grand Jury prize winner THE GREAT INVISIBLE.
