Sony Pictures picks up 'Defendor'

Source: Hollywoodreporter.com

TORONTO -- Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group is in final negotiations to acquire the Woody Harrelson starrer "Defendor" out of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The company is set to buy all worldwide rights to the film except Canada, where the film is being released by Alliance.



Peter Stebbings' movie stars Harrelson as a man who is under the delusion that he is a superhero and sets out on a series of adventures to protect a crime-beset city. Kat Dennings and Sandra Oh also star.

Darius Films produced the pic and Cinetic Media repped the filmmakers in the sale.

The acquisition marks the first buy of the festival for SPWAG, which has been ramping up its acquisitions of late. The film is the third fest pic to sell overall, following the Weinstein Co.'s purchase of Tom Ford's period drama "A Single Man" and IFC's acquisition of Nicholas Winding Refn's action adventure "Valhalla Rising."

The Israeli battlefield pic "Lebanon," remains in play, with an asking price in the low- to mid-six figures being considered by a number of indie banners.

Harrelson has a number of pics coming out in the fall, including comedy-horror title "Zombieland" from Sony and military drama "The Messenger" from Oscilloscope.