Recently launched distributor Bleecker Street and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have reached a multi-year output deal.
UPHE will handle all marketing, sales and distribution services for the Blu-ray, DVD, Electronic Sell-through and Video-on-Demand platforms of Bleecker Street films in the U.S.
The announcement was made Thursday, the first day of the Sundance Film Festival, by Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen and Eddie Cunningham, president of UPHE.
The deal will begin with Bleecker Street’s “Danny Collins,” starring Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale, and Christopher Plummer, which opens March 20; followed by Matt Ross’ “Captain Fantastic” with Viggo Mortensen; “Pawn Sacrifice,” directed by Edward Zwick with Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber; and Jay Roach’s “Trumbo,” starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane and Helen Mirren.
Bleecker Street acquired the domestic rights to “Pawn Sacrifice,” about the 1972 iconic Fischer-Spassky match in Iceland, at the Toronto Film Festival in September. It was the first deal for Bleecker Street, which former Focus Features executive Karpen launched in August.
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Karpen said, “We are incredibly excited to be working with Eddie and the team at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. We know firsthand the level of support and enthusiasm the team brings to each title and we’re looking forward to working with them on our inaugural slate of films and for many more years to follow.”
The deal was negotiated by Kent Sanderson, Avy Eschenasy and Stephen Einhorn on behalf of Bleecker Street and Jed Lackman of UPHE.
