EXCLUSIVE: Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired international rights for Egghead Republic, the latest feature from Swedish directorial duo Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja who made waves with sci-fi epic Aniara.
The English-speaking picture is currently in post-production and positioning for a fall launch, with NonStop Entertainment handling its Scandinavia release. Best Friend Forever will unveil an exclusive promo-reel in Cannes.
It is set in an alternative reality in which the Cold War didn’t end, and an atomic bomb has struck Soviet Kazakhstan. Sonja, a 22-year-old Swedish club-kid, working at one of the hippest magazines in the world, is mysteriously invited to report from inside the radio-active zone, to find or debunk the rumors of mutated centaurs living there.
“Never have we been this proud, this elated. With Egghead Republic we want to bring the viewer on a feverish descent into a contaminated zone — questioning what it means to tell the truth in a world that no longer trusts reality. With their fearless taste, Best Friend Forever is the perfect partner for this wild journey,” said Kågerman and Lilja.
The duo’s sci-fi debut Aniara premiered at TIFF in 2018 to acclaim and was released by Magnolia Pictures, while their short film Reckless premiered in Sundance 2022. Currently, they are also working on TV-Series Wallander starring Gustaf Skarsgård (Oppenheimer, Vikings) for Banijay Entertainment.
“We are thrilled to board this highly entertaining Swedish English-speaking genre piece with a really high level of production value. In between the genre, it really takes you to unexpected places, while delivering a strong end. The duo of director is oh-so-cool and their movie a wild ride,” said Best Friend Forever co-founders Martin Gondre and Charles Bin.
The film stars Ella Rae Rappaport, Tyler Labine (Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Escape Room) and Arvin Kananian (Triangle of Sadness, Opponent). It is produced by Nina Lund for You Saved Me AB.
Further titles on the Best Friend Forever’s Cannes line-up include Critics’ Week titles A Useful Ghost, Sleepless City and Directors’ Fortnight selection Death Does Not Exist. The company is also handling L’Aventura by Sophie Letourneur that will open the Cannes parallel section ACID and Drifting Laurent, which is also in its line-up.
The post Best Friend Forever Boards Sales On Pella Kågerman & Hugo Lilja’s ‘Egghead Republic’ – Cannes Market appeared first on Deadline.
