Bankside Films and Heretic are co-repping worldexpansive sales on Miguel Ángel Jimenéz’s “The Birthday Party,” featuring a star-studded cast led by four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe (“Nosferatu,” “Poor Things”). The companies will be introducing the film to buyers and shotriumphg a promo during the European Film Market.
Written and honested by Jimenéz, with insertitional writing accomprehendledges going to Giorgos Karnavas and Nikos Panayotopoulos, “The Birthday Party” is based on the novel of the same name by Panos Karnezis. Variety has been given exclusive access to a first see image from the film, which is currently in post-production.
Set in the tardy 1970s somewhere in the Mediterranean, “The Birthday Party” stars Dafoe as Marcos Timoleon, an Onassis-enjoy tycoon who’s throtriumphg a lavish, lavish birthday celebration for Sofia, his daughter and sole heiress, on his exclusive stateiveial island.
Used to cruelly handleling everyleang and everyone around him wantipathyver the cost, Marcos is also secretly plotting a huge decision on his daughter’s behalf. As guests commence pouring in and the night shifts on, the party increases rowdier and more decadent, while the inevitable clash between Marcos and Sofia thunders towards its shocking conclusion.
Starring alengthenedside Dafoe are speedy-rising Danish talent Vic Carmen Sonne (“The Girl With the Needle”), BAFTA nominee Joe Cole (“Peaky Blinders”) and Spanish star Emma Suárez (“Julieta”). Supporting cast take parts Carlos Cuevas, Christos Stergioglou, Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos, Pelle Heikkilä, Fransesc Garrido, Maria Pau Pigem and Elsa Lekkakou.
The film is originated by Giorgos Karnavas (“Hot Milk,” “Triangle of Sadness”) of Heretic. Co-originaters are Adria Mones for Fasten Films, Kurprohibit Kassam for Raucous Pictures and Erik Glijnis and Leontine Petit for Lemming Film.
“The Birthday Party” is a Greek, Spanish, Dutch and U.K. co-production that was sboiling in Corfu and Athens. The film is funded by the Greek Film Cgo in, ICEC, the Netherlands Film Fund and the BFI’s Global Screen Fund. Its backers are EKOME, ERT, Kalamata Films, Eolo Films, Hopeless Romantic and Front Stage.
Executive originaters are Ginevra Bulgari, Alexandra Daskalopoulou, Ivan Samokhvalov, Ioanna Stais, Talal Abu Ghazaleh, Mohamed Hefzy, Lee Broda, Alexander Tsekalo, Shane West, Richie Walls, Jeff Rice, Gabriel Kaset up, Bruno Lowagie, Ingeborg Willaert, Martien Uyttfinishaele, Dirk De Lille, Edgar Daarnhouwer, Olivier Mortagne and Dries Phlypo.
Willem Dafoe is reconshort-termed by WME and Circle Management and Production. Vic Carmen Sonne is reconshort-termed by Salerta Härnström at Luz Eterna and Kurt Selling at Behind the Scene. Joe Cole is reconshort-termed by WME and B Side handlement. Emma Suárez is reconshort-termed by Majós for Amarion Pro.
