STXfilms Acquires Psychological Thriller "The Marsh King's Daughter" From Black Bear & Anonymous Content

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man and BURBANK, Calif., April 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eros STX Global Corporation (NYSE:ESGC) ("ErosSTX"), a global entertainment company, announced today that STXfilms has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Black Bear Pictures and Anonymous Content's psychological thriller The Marsh King's Daughter, starring Daisy Ridley, directed by Neil Burger (Limitless, The Illusionist, Voyagers) and written by Elle Smith & Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Midnight Sky), adapted from Karen Dionne's best-selling novel of the same name. The film is produced by Black Bear Pictures' Teddy Schwarzman (The Imitation Game, I Care a Lot), Anonymous Content's Keith Redmon (The Revenant, Midnight Sky) and Mark L. Smith. Executive Producers are Black Bear's Michael Heimler, Syndicate Entertainment's Cliff Roberts, and Charles Miller. Black Bear will fully finance and principal photography is due to commence in Canada this June.

The acquisition reunites STXfilms and director Neil Burger after their success together on The Upside, which grossed over $100 million domestically. STXinternational previously secured the international rights for The Marsh King's Daughter, presented the title to international partners at the European Film Market, and will directly distribute the film in the UK, Ireland, and India. US rights were negotiated with Black Bear and CAA Media Finance.

"We're thrilled to be reuniting with Neil after such a successful collaboration on The Upside and extending our relationship with Black Bear and our friends at Anonymous Content," said Adam Fogelson, chairman, STXfilms Motion Picture Group. "Like The New York Times said about the novel, this project is as good as a thriller can be. Daisy Ridley is perfect for this role and we can't wait to share this film with audiences in the territories we have acquired."

"We are honored to partner with STX on the US release of The Marsh King's Daughter," said Black Bear's Schwarzman. "STX consistently provides audiences with high quality, event-driven and original films, and Neil and our team are thrilled to add this unique psychological thriller to STX's already impressive lineup."

Ridley, who will also star in STX's upcoming The Ice Beneath Her, will star as Helena, a woman living a seemingly ordinary life, but hiding a dark secret: her father is the infamous "Marsh King," the man who kept her and her mother captive in the wilderness for years. After a lifetime of trying to escape her past, Helena is forced to face her demons when her father unexpectedly escapes from prison.

The Marsh King's Daughter is an international bestselling novel by author Karen Dionne and has been published in 25 languages.

In addition to The Marsh King's Daughter, Black Bear's current slate includes J Blakeson's I Care A Lot which debuted at #1 on Netflix and received a Golden Globes win for 'Best Actress' for Rosamund Pike; Martin Campbell's upcoming thriller Memory starring Liam Neeson, now in production; Annette Bening starrer Nyad which is currently in pre-production and will be directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin; and Heidi Ewing's I Carry You With Me which will be released by Sony Pictures Classics and received two Spirit Award nominations. STXinternational also handled international rights on both I Care A Lot  and Memory.

STXfilms:
STXfilms, a division of Eros STX Global Corporation, is a next-generation film studio that produces, acquires, distributes, and markets motion pictures at scale. From blockbusters like Hustlers, Bad Moms, and The Upside to hits like The Gentlemen, Molly's Game, and The Gift, STXfilms produces star-driven films for a global audience. In just 5 short years, its slate of films has already grossed over $1.8b in global theatrical box office. With a wide range of partners including Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Showtime (which handle the physical and premium television releases of STXfilms content, respectively), the studio is a fast-growing, industry powerhouse.

About Black Bear Pictures
Black Bear Pictures develops, produces and finances original and engaging content for film and television. Since its 2011 launch, Black Bear's slate has grossed over $350 million worldwide, been nominated for thirteen Academy Awards®, ten Golden Globes®, ten BAFTAs®, and premiered at such prestigious festivals as Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York, and London. Black Bear's library includes such films as: The Imitation Game, I Care A Lot, Mudbound, All Is Lost, The Rental, Suburbicon and Ben Is Back.  In addition, Black Bear owns Elevation Pictures Corp, the leading independent film and TV distribution company in Canada.

For more information: www.blackbearpictures.com, Instagram: @blackbearpics, Twitter: @blackbearpics

About Anonymous Content
Anonymous Content is a visionary and disruptive media company that produces mult-platform premium content and boasts an exceptional client roster which includes many of the world's most renowned and innovative directors, writers, actors, and comedians. The company's award-winning Film & TV division boasts many commercially successful and critically acclaimed works including BABEL, WINTER'S BONE, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, THE REVENANT and Best Picture Academy Award winning SPOTLIGHT. Current Anonymous Content films include the recently released THE MIDNIGHT SKY (Netflix) as well as the upcoming STILLWATER (Focus Features) and SWAN SONG (Apple). The company's TV credits include "True Detective" (HBO), "Mr. Robot" (USA Network), "Schitt's Creek" (POP), "Dickinson" (Apple), "Home Before Dark" (Apple), and "Defending Jacob" (Apple).  Through its Commercial work, Anonymous Content is also the driving creative force behind countless leading global brands. For more information, visit www.anonymouscontent.com. 

Steve Elzer
Elzer & Associates
[email protected]
213-607-3591

SOURCE STXfilms