Focus Features Acquires North American Rights to Lionsgate UK's "A Little Chaos"

Focus Features recently announced that they've acquired the North American rights of "A Little Chaos" which is financed by Lionsgate UK and BBC Films. The film is directed by Alan Rickman and stars Rickman, Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci, and Danny Webb. "A Little Chaos" hits North American theaters on March 27th.

Press Release:

Focus Features has acquired North American distribution rights to A LITTLE CHAOS, directed by Alan Rickman from a screenplay he wrote with Alison Deegan and Jeremy Brock. The company also acquired distribution rights to the film, which is financed by Lionsgate UK and BBC Films, in Scandinavia. The romantic drama stars Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Mr. Rickman, Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci, and Danny Webb. Focus Features will release the movie in North America on March 27, 2015.

A LITTLE CHAOS had its world premiere as the closing-night film of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The project is produced by Gail Egan and Andrea Calderwood via their Potboiler Productions banner, and Bertrand Faivre via The Bureau production banner. Executive Producers of the project are Zygi Kamasa, Guy Avshalom, Nick Manzi, Christine Langan, Ray Cooper, Norman Merry, and Richard Wolfe.

Peter Schlessel, CEO of Focus Features, said, "We are pleased to be in business with Alan Rickman and this sterling cast on such a crowd-pleasing movie. A LITTLE CHAOS is a great addition to Focus Features' 2015 slate."

Zygi Kamasa, CEO of Lionsgate UK‎ commented, "We're delighted to be in partnership with Focus Features. They are the perfect home to give this beautiful drama the attention it needs in the US and Canada."

Director Alan Rickman added "I'm very proud of the fact that A LITTLE CHAOS found its North American home during its World Premiere at TIFF. It's encouraging to see that the film resonated with both audiences and the industry in Toronto, and I'm excited for its release next spring."

A LITTLE CHAOS follows Sabine (Winslet), a strong-willed landscape designer who challenges sexual and class barriers when she is chosen to build one of the main gardens at King Louis XIV's new palace at Versailles, causing her to become professionally and romantically entangled with the court's renowned landscape architect André Le Notre (Schoenaerts).

A LITTLE CHAOS is the third time in recent years that the UK division of Lionsgate has financed a British production from its UK base and sold North America rights during TIFF. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN was sold to CBS in 2011, THE RAILWAY MAN was sold to The Weinstein Company in 2013, and now A LITTLE CHAOS to Focus Features. All deals were concluded during the festival.

The acquisition of A LITTLE CHAOS was negotiated on behalf of Focus Features by Lia Buman, President of Acquisitions, and Beth Lemberger, Executive Vice President of Business Affairs. CAA brokered the deal on behalf of Lionsgate UK and Potboiler Productions. Lionsgate International is handling foreign sales of the film. Lionsgate UK will release the film in the UK during the first quarter of 2015.