Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Screen Media Acquires North American Rights to Naked Singularity
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) has announced the acquisition of North American rights for the heist thriller Naked Singularity, featuring stars John Boyega and Olivia Cooke. The film, directed by Chase Palmer, is based on a PEN Prize-winning novel and won the Best Narrative Film award at the San Francisco Film Festival. Screen Media, a subsidiary of Chicken Soup, plans an August 2021 theatrical release. The acquisition is seen as a strategic move to enhance the company's film portfolio and leverage its distribution capabilities.
- Acquisition of North American rights to Naked Singularity enhances content library.
- Film won audience award at the San Francisco Film Festival, indicating strong potential.
- Acquisition costs and financial commitments associated with the distribution of Naked Singularity may strain resources.
Film Stars John Boyega, Olivia Cooke, Ed Skrein and Bill Skarsgård
Executive Produced by Ridley Scott and Dick Wolf
COS COB, Conn., June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced that Screen Media acquisition of all North American rights to the John Boyega and Olivia Cooke heist thriller, Naked Singularity, co-starring Ed Skrein, Bill Skarsgård, Linda Lavin and Tim Blake Nelson. Best known for writing the screenplay for “It,” Naked Singularity marks filmmaker Chase Palmer’s feature directorial debut. The screenplay was adapted by Palmer and David Matthews from the epic, fierce, and hilarious PEN-prize winning book, A Naked Singularity written by public defender Sergio De La Pava. The film recently premiered in the opening night slot at the San Francisco Film Festival, where it won the audience award for Best Narrative Film. Screen Media plans an August 2021 theatrical release.
“I can’t be more excited that we’ll be getting this film, anchored by John Boyega’s wonderful performance, in front of audiences this summer,” said Chase Palmer. “Screen Media’s passion for Naked Singularity was loud and clear from the start and I know we will be in good hands.”
“We are very excited that Screen Media will be bringing Naked Singularity to theaters,” said Cecile Gaget, President of International Production and Distribution at Anton. “For a long time, they have distributed unique titles, particularly over the last couple of years. We feel that Naked Singularity is right at home with the great team of Screen Media.”
“Naked Singularity is the perfect movie for this moment,” said Screen Media in a statement. “We’re excited to bring this unique, thought-provoking legal thriller to audiences nationwide this summer.”
Naked Singularity tells the story of Casi (John Boyega), a promising young NYC public defender whose idealism is beginning to crack under the daily injustices of the very justice system he’s trying to make right. Doubting all he has worked for and seeing signs of the universe collapsing all around him, he is pulled into a dangerous high-stakes drug heist by an unpredictable former client (Olivia Cooke) in an effort to beat the broken system at its own game.
Naked Singularity is produced by Tony Ganz, Kevin J. Walsh, Ryan Stowell, P. Jennifer Dana and Ross Jacobson, and executive produced by Ridley Scott, Dick Wolf, Sebastien Raybaud, Francois Callens, John Zois, Mark Roberts, Tony Pachella, Deborah Roth, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Anton is a co-financier of the film and represents the foreign sales rights.
The deal was negotiated by Seth Needle, SVP of Global Acquisitions and Co-Productions, on behalf of Screen Media with Endeavor Content on behalf of the filmmakers.
Writer/Director Chase Palmer’s award-winning short films Neo-Noir and Shock and Awe have played at film festivals around the world, including Sundance, BFI London, and Deauville. Palmer co-wrote IT: CHAPTER 1, the highest-grossing horror film in history. Current writing projects include the gothic western Unbury Carol for director Cary Fukunaga and Fox Searchlight, and Monsterpocalypse for Warner Bros. and director Fede Alvarez.
Screen Media’s recent acquisitions include SK Dale’s Megan Fox thriller Till Death and Jimmy Giannopolous’s mob crime drama The Birthday Cake starring Shiloh Fernandez. Previous releases include the critically acclaimed documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, the Barry Pepper thriller Trigger Point, Simon West’s action disaster film Skyfire, and the Nicolas Cage hit Willy’s Wonderland.
ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, Chicken Soup for the Soul Unscripted, APlus.com and Halcyon Television. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.
ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC
Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those risks set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
INVESTOR RELATIONS
Taylor Krafchik
Ellipsis
csse@ellipsisir.com
(646) 776-0886
MEDIA CONTACT
Kate Barrette
RooneyPartners LLC
kbarrette@rooneyco.com
(212) 223-0561
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