Venice Hit ‘Happyend’ Scores Multiple Territory Sales, Including France and China, for Magnify (EXCLUSIVE)
Neo Sora’s narrative debut “Happyend,” a dystopian portrait of rebellious youth fighting for a better future that first bowed in Venice’s Horizons section, has sold to multiple territories for Magnify, the international sales arm of Magnolia Pictures.
In addition to Metrograph Pictures, which grabbed North American rights last month and will be releasing theatrically in 2025, Magnify has secured deals in France (Eurozoom), South Korea (JINJIN), Taiwan (Hooray), Hong Kong (Edko), China (Wiseup), Indonesia (Falcon), Turkey (Filmarti), Ex-Yugoslavia (Five Star), CEE (HBO), with many other territories under negotiation. Giraffe Pictures will be releasing in Singapore and Bitters End is releasing theatrically in Japan on Oct. 4.
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Following Venice, the film had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Centerpiece) and its Asian premiere in the Pingyao International Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award. The film recently screened at the New York Film Festival and next heads to the Busan International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival and Zurich Film Festival, among others.
Set in a near-future Tokyo where the threat of a catastrophic earthquake pervades daily life, “Happyend” follows two rabble-rousing best friends as they are about to graduate high school. One night, they pull a consequential prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in their school. Stuck between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, the two respond in contrasting ways, leading them to confront differences they never had to face before.
The film stars newcomers Hayato Kurihara and Yukito Hidaka alongside distinguished veterans Ayumu Nakajima (“Wheel of Furtune and Fantasy”), Makiko Watanabe (“37 Seconds”), and Shiro Sano (“Godzilla 2000”). The producing team includes Albert Tholen and Aiko Masubuchi (“Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus”) of Zakkubalan, Eric Nyari (“Black Box Diaries”) of Cineric Creative, Alex C. Lo (“The Settlers”) of Cinema Inutile, and Anthony Chen (“The Breaking Ice”) of Giraffe Pictures. It was executive produced by Kaoru Hayashi, Douglas Choi, Robina Riccitiello, and Ema Ryan Yamazaki.
Sora’s credits include 2023’s “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” which premiered at Venice and was picked by Janus for North America and short films “The Chicken” (2020), which premiered in Locarno, and “Sugar Glass Bottle” (2022).
All sales were negotiated by Magnify’s SVP of global sales Lorna Lee Torres and director of global sales Austin Kennedy.
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