Phase 4 Films Acquires North American Rights To THE BAYTOWN OUTLAWS Starring Billy Bob Thornton; 2013 Release Planned

Berry Meyerowitz, President & CEO of Phase 4 Films, announced today that the company is acquiring all North American rights to director Barry Battles’ highly sought-after, action comedy THE BAYTOWN OUTLAWS (formerly titled THE BAYTOWN DISCO). The screenplay was written by Battles and Griffin Hood and made the 2009 Black List. The film stars Eva Longoria (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), Billy Bob Thornton (MONSTER’S BALL), Paul Wesley (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES), Andre Braugher (MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE), and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (LOVE ACTUALLY). LLeju Production’s William O. Perkins financed and produced the film alongside Robert Teitel from State Street Pictures.  Hood, Ryan Jones, Thomas J. Busch and Mary Vernieu are executive producing. Phase 4 plans to release the film theatrically in early 2013.

Noted Meyerowitz: “THE BAYTOWN OUTLAWS is an absolute crowd pleaser as it combines lots of action with sharp humor led by an amazing group of actors.  We are thrilled to join the team and share the film with audiences.”

LLeju Productions William O. Perkins said, “With Phase 4, we’ve found the perfect home for THE BAYTOWN OUTLAWS. Barry’s direction combined with brilliant performances from our cast, have resulted in an edgy, funny and highly entertaining and commercial film.”

THE BAYTOWN OUTLAWS is a wickedly playful, high-velocity action-comedy in which three infamously ruthless Alabama brothers find themselves on the wrong side of crooked cops, relentless Feds, mad mobsters, road pirates, tomahawk-wielding bikers, tricky femme fatales and an unforgettable cast of characters as colorful as they are lethal when they finally try to do a single good deed.

The deal was negotiated by Phase 4’s Larry Greenberg and Katharyn Howe with WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers. Highland Film Group is handling international sales.

Phase 4 Films’ previous releases include the provocatively sexy road movie HICK, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, and Eddie Redmayne; 2011 Sundance award-winner ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, Sam Levinson’s dark comedy about a dysfunctional family, starring Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, and Ezra Miller; and the Canadian tour of Kevin Smith’s RED STATE, starring Michael Parks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman.  Upcoming releases for the company include Rebecca Thomas’ 2012 SXSW favorite ELECTRICK CHILDREN starring Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, and Liam Aiken; Nate Meyer’s SEE GIRL RUN starring Robin Tunney and Adam Scott; Carrie Preston’s Sundance 2012 hit comedy THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID starring Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, and Alia Shawkat; and Andrew Edison’s high school comedy BINDLESTIFFS, which will be released in partnership with Kevin Smith under the SModcast Pictures Presents banner.