Sony Pictures Classic Acquires US Rights to David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS GETS DANGEROUS WITH DAVID CRONENBERG

NEW YORK (June 16, 2011) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired the US Rights to David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD from UK based Hanway Films. The film, produced by Jeremy Thomas (THE LAST EMPEROR, SEXY BEAST), stars Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, and Vincent Cassel. The film is currently in post-production.

Cronenberg once again gathered a prestigious crew to work on A DANGEROUS METHOD, director of photography Peter Suschitsky (A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, EASTERN PROMISES), composer Howard Shore (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy, AVATAR), editor Ronald Sanders (A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, EASTERN PROMISES, CORALINE), costume designer Denise Cronenberg (A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, EASTERN PROMISES, THE INCREDIBLE HULK) and production designer James McAteer (GOOD WILL HUNTING, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN). The screenplay was adapted by Christopher Hampton (ATONEMENT, THE QUIET AMERICAN) from his own play.

Seduced by the challenge of an impossible case, the driven Dr. Jung (Michael Fassbender) takes the unbalanced yet beautiful Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) as his patient in A DANGEROUS METHOD. Jung’s weapon is the method of his master, the renowned Sigmund Freud. Both men fall under Sabina’s spell.

“David Cronenberg and Jeremy Thomas have made a film that not only has an impeccable cast and crew working at the height of their talents but tells one of the most fascinating love triangles of the twentieth century. The American public will enthusiastically embrace this picture. We are delighted to be in business again with Jeremy and David,” states Sony Pictures Classics.

Producer Jeremy Thomas adds, “I’m very excited to be working again with my friends at Sony Pictures Classics on David’s wonderful film.”

Sony Pictures Classics released David Cronenberg’s SPIDER as well as several films produced by Jeremy Thomas (Takeshi Kitano’s BROTHER, Wim Wender’s DON’T COME KNOCKING, and David Mackenzie’s YOUNG ADAM).

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 25 Academy Awards® (24 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered over 100 Academy Award® nominations (93 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services, and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries.

RECORDED PICTURE COMPANY

Recorded Picture Company was established by Thomas in 1974 and has since produced over 50 films, including nine-time Academy Award winner The Last Emperor. Notable productions include The Sheltering Sky and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, and more recently, Sexy Beast, Crash, Young Adam and The Dreamers. In 2010, RPC premiered Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins at Venice along with Jerzy Skolimowski’s Essential Killing, which went on to garner the Jury Prize and two others in an unprecedented triple win. In 2011, RPC premiered Wim Wenders’ 3D film Pina at Berlin to great acclaim, and went on to premiere Takashi Miike’s Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai at Cannes, the first 3D film to show In Competition. RPC is currently in post-production on David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender and Vincent Cassel, and is in production on the epic adventure Kon-Tiki with directors Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg. Upcoming projects include those by Vincenzo Natali and Phillip Noyce.

HANWAY FILMS

Hanway Films’ current slate includes Seven Psychopaths from director Martin McDonagh starring Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke, Colin Farrell and Sam Rockwell; Great Expectations from director Mike Newell starring Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes; Takashi Miike’s 3D film Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai which premiered In Competition at Cannes 2011, Kon-Tiki, an epic from directors Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg which is currently in production; Wim Wenders’ acclaimed 3D dance film Pina, David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender and Vincent Cassel; Girls’ Night Out from director Michael Hoffman starring Dakota Fanning; Quartet directed by Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman from a script by Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood; Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights; Steve McQueen’s Shame starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan from Academy Award-winning producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman; Kevin MacDonald’s groundbreaking documentary Life In A Day produced by Ridley Scott; the box office hit TT3D: Closer To The Edge, and Simon Barrett’s home invasion thriller You’re Next from producers Keith Calder and Jessica Wu.