"The Fall of the American Empire" Goes to Sony Pictures Classics

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES DENYS ARCAND'S THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

NEW YORK – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all rights in the US, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand to Academy Award® winner Denys Arcand's THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE. The film, a follow up to his critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated The Decline of the American Empire, is written and directed by Arcand and produced by Academy Award® winner Denise Robert.

Thirty years after THE DECLINE, THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE explores the predominance of capitalism in a society where all other values seem to have crumbled. Pierre-Paul Daoust, 36, an intellectual with a PhD in philosophy is forced to work as a deliveryman to afford a decent living. One day, while delivering a parcel, he gets caught in a hold up gone terribly wrong: two dead and millions in money bags laying on the ground. Pierre-Paul is confronted with a dilemma: leave empty handed, or take the money and run?

Alexandre Landry (GABRIELLE) stars as Pierre-Paul Daoust with newcomer Maripier Morin, Louis Morissette (THE MIRAGE), Maxim Roy (LOOK AGAIN), Pierre Curzi (THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS), Vincent Leclerc (THE REVENANT), Patrick Émmanuel Abellard, Florence Longpré (THREESOME), Eddy King and Rémy Girard (THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS).

The film reunites Arcand with Michael Barker and Tom Bernard after previously working together on Sony Pictures Classics' LOVE AND HUMAN REMAINS and Orion Classics' JESUS OF MONTREAL. Arcand was awarded the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film for THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS.

"I am truly excited to come back to Sony Pictures Classics and to be reunited with Michael Barker and Tom Bernard. They are the best in the business, and they know perfectly well what kind of audiences are going to be touched by this film. I made this film in a spirit of absolute freedom and they certainly are the best people to take care of it," said Denys Arcand.

Said Sony Pictures Classics, "Denys Arcand is back with a satirical spirit as biting and as perceptive and as entertaining as he has ever been! It's great to be back with him and bring his new robust work to the American audience."

The deal was negotiated by Anick Poirier from Seville International, an eOne company, and Denise Robert from Cinemaginaire.


ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world. Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 39 Academy Awards® (35 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 169 Academy Award® nominations (143 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE's Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.

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