Shout! Studios Acquires North American Rights To Sam Yates' SXSW Neo-Noir Thriller Magpie

Shout! Studios, a multi-platform media company, has acquired North American rights to MAGPIE from Werewolf Films, 55 Films and Align following a competitive bidding situation. The announcement comes on the heels of the Cannes Market.

Based on an original idea by Daisy Ridley, written by Tom Bateman (Murder on the Orient Express, Thirteen Lives), and directed by Sam Yates (VANYA, The Hope Rooms), the film stars Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, Young Woman and the Sea), Shazad Latif (What’s Love Got to Do with It?, Star Trek: Discovery), Matilda Lutz (Helen’s Dead, Medici), Pippa Bennett-Warner (Gangs of London, See How They Run), Hiba Ahmed, Cherrelle Skeete (Hanna, Snowflakes), and Alistair Petrie (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Sex Education. MAGPIE is produced by Kate Solomon, p.g.a. of 55 Films, Daisy Ridley, p.g.a., and Tom Bateman, p.g.a. of Werewolf Films, Nadia Khamlichi and Sierra Garcia of Align and Camilla Bray.

MAGPIE is a stylish neo-noir thriller centered on married couple Anette (Ridley) and Ben (Latif), whose lives begin to fracture when their daughter is cast alongside a glamorous movie star, Alicia (Lutz). As Anette’s suspicions of Ben’s infatuation with Alicia intensify, their secrets and lies threaten to burst to the surface and destroy them all. The film received critical praise out of SXSW, with Collider’s Chase Hutchinson saying, “Daisy Ridley shines in Magpie with a perfectly calibrated performance,” and Screen International’s Robert Daniels calling it “a visually adventurous film.”

Shout! Studios has secured all distribution rights in North America to MAGPIE, including theatrical, digital, video-on-demand, broadcast, and home entertainment for cross-platform releases. Shout! Studios plans a strategic launch of this movie across all major entertainment platforms, beginning with a theatrical launch later this year.

“MAGPIE is a movie you enjoy at least twice — first, when you experience the pleasure of a stylish, expertly acted and twisty psychological thriller, and then when you dissect and discuss it with someone else. There are far too few of these gems out there, so we’re eager to share MAGPIE with audiences hungry for deeply satisfying entertainment,” stated Jordan Fields, Shout’s Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Originals.

“To bring this idea to life has been one of the most gratifying moments of my career. Working with Tom, Sam, Kate, and the wonderful cast and crew on MAGPIE has been an unbelievable collaboration and now getting to partner with Shout! to bring the film to audiences is incredibly exciting,” stated Daisy Ridley.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Shout! Studios for the release of MAGPIE in North America. Their passion and excitement in what we have created matches our own, and we are greatly looking forward to sharing the film with an audience together,” stated the filmmakers.

The movie deal was negotiated by CAA for Werewolf Films, 55 Films, Align, and filmmakers, and Shout!’s Jordan Fields and Steve Katz, Vice President of Business Affairs.

Align presents in association with The Veterans
A Werewolf Films and 55 Films Production
Written by Tom Bateman
Directed by Sam Yates
Produced by Kate Solomon, p.g.a., Daisy Ridley, p.g.a., Tom Bateman, p.g.a., Camilla Bray, Nadia Khamlichi, and Sierra Garcia.
Executive Produced by Adrian Politowski, Martin Metz, Nessa McGill, and Clare Hardwick
Director of Photography, Laura Bellingham
Production Designer, Amanda McArthur
Edited by Christopher Watson
Music by Isobell Waller-Bridge
Costume Design by Natalie Roar

*Image courtesy of Rob Baker Ashton*