SXSW: Olmo Schnabel’s Provocative Feature Debut ‘Pet Shop Days’ Acquired by Utopia (EXCLUSIVE)
“Pet Shop Days,” the directorial debut from Hollywood scion Olmo Schnabel, has been acquired by Utopia for theatrical distribution in North America.
A Venice Film Festival premiere that just lit up SXSW, the provocative coming-of-age film stars stars Jack Irv, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard and Emmanuelle Seigner. Martin Scorsese, Jeremy O. Harris and Michel Franco (“New Order”) all serve as executive producers.
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Bernal (Netflix’s “House of Flowers”) stars as Alejandro, the son of a Mexican crime lord on the run from his past in New York City. There he meets Jack (Irv), a 20-something living with his wealthy parents Francis (Dafoe) and Diana (Seigner) while working in a pet shop. In a haze of drugs and sex, Alejandro seduces Jack and drags him into the city’s criminal underbelly.
Shot on 35mm film by Hunter Zimny (“Funny Pages,” “The Scary of Sixty-First,” “What Doesn’t Float”), the film generated buzz out of Venice for its daring lead performances. At the time, Variety said Schnabel “possesses a creativity, and a sensitivity, of a filmmaker who already seems capable of occupying the spotlight on his own.”
“I am thrilled that my first feature has found a worthy home with the team at Utopia,” said director Schnabel. “Utopia’s history of supporting independent film and emerging filmmakers makes me proud to be the newest member of their family and I am confident they will help bring our project to the right audiences.”
Utopia co-founder Robert Schwartzman said the film’s “provocative dynamism not only harkens to iconic ‘90s independent cinema, but flourishes with promise of what the future of auteur filmmaking will look like. Utopia is pleased to collaborate with Schnabel, Scorsese, Franco, O. Harris and the rest of the crew on wowing audiences with an unabashedly original NYC tale.”
MeMo and Storyteller Productions present the film with Twin Productions, in association with Tenderstories, 3 Marys Entertainment and ELA Films. Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Galen Core, Alex Coco, Schnabel, Gabriele Moratti and Marie Savare De Laitre are producers. Schnabel and Twin Productions are represented by FRANK PR.
Executive producers are Giovanni Corrado, Raffaella Viscardi, Moreno Zani, Malcom Pagani, Renato Ragosta, Livio Strazzera, Theo Niarchos, Aimone Ripa Di Meana, PJ Van Sandwijk, Peter Brant Jr., Franco, Reka Posta, Harris and Scorsese.
Candace Tan negotiated for for Utopia with CAA Media Finance repping the filmmakers.
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