Sony Classics Nears 'God Of Carnage' Deal

EXCLUSIVE: I’m told that Sony Pictures Classics partners Michael Barker and Tom Bernard are tying up a deal to acquire US rights to God Of Carnage, the  Roman Polanski-directed feature adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play. Polanski shot the film in Paris, with Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly starring.

This is just one of several plum pictures currently being shopped for distribution. Others include the Phyllida Lloyd-directed Margaret Thatcher pic The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep starring (the ask is $7 million for US rights), and the Paolo Sorrentino-directed This Must Be The Place, starring Sean Penn as a bored, retired rock star who tries to find his father’s killer, an ex-Nazi war criminal hiding in the U.S.

Back to God of Carnage. It’s a strong cast, and counting Polanski, everyone has won Oscars except Reilly, who has been nominated. The plot: two sets of parents meet after their kids brawl in the schoolyard, and get along worse than the kids did. The Broadway show ran 452 performances with roles originated by James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis. ICM packaged the film and is making the distribution deal.