Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein made the first major acquisition at the Toronto International Film Festival, purchasing the rights on Tuesday to the gay-themed film A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford.
Intense interest greeted the film, for which the Weinstein Co., run by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, ultimately paid between $1 million and $2 million for U.S. and German rights, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
"The acquisition of Man came after teams of execs from almost every
significant specialty company and mini-major came to Toronto's small
Isabel Bader Theatre on Monday," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
"The movie earned high marks for its design as well as for Colin
Firth's lead performance and Julianne Moore's supporting role."
A Single Man, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood, is the directorial debut of Ford. It examines a day in the life of an English literature professor in Los Angeles (Firth) who is grieving for his recently deceased male lover. Watch the trailer below.
The Weinstein Co. has scheduled A Single Man for a quick turnaround release this year, and reportedly hopes to build awards season momentum around a strong central performance, as happened last year with Mickey Rourke's turn in The Wrestler. The 2002 Focus release Far From Heaven, which likewise concerned gay life in mid-century America and starred Moore, could also be a marketing model.
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