IFC Films & AMC+ Acquire North American Rights to Aubrey Plaza’s “Spin Me Round”

Aubrey Plaza will be spinning into theaters this summer…

IFC Films and AMC+ have acquired the North American rights to Jeff Baena’s Spin Me Round, starring the 37-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian.

Aubrey Plaza, Spin Me RoundThe film, which made its world premiere at SXSW last month, will open in theaters and VOD and stream exclusively on AMC+ this summer.

Spin Me Round represents filmmaker Baena’s reteam with Alison Brie, Plaza and Molly Shannon, who star in the film.

Brie co-wrote and produced Spin Me Round, in which she plays the manager of an Italian restaurant chain who wins the opportunity to attend the franchise’s educational immersion program in Italy. What she thought would be a romantic getaway devolves into chaos and catastrophe.

Baena and Brie previously teamed on Horse Girl, she starred in and co-wrote with Baena, who also directed. Brie also appeared in Baena’s The Little Hours and Joshy. Plaza has starred in Baena’s The Little Hours, Joshy and Life After Beth. Shannon starred in Baena’s Little Hours, Horse Girl and Life After Beth.

Spin Me Round also marks the third IFC Films feature with Brie, who most recently starred in The Rental, the Dave Franco-directed thriller that was a hit at drive-ins nationwide and on VOD in the summer of 2020, when a majority of theaters were closed down due to COVID-19; that pic grossed $1.6M.

Rounding out the cast is Alessandro Nivola, Zach Woods, Ayden Mayeri, Ben Sinclair, Tim Heidecker, Debby Ryan and Fred Armisen.

Spin Me Round is a Duplass Brothers and Limelight Production. Limelight’s Chris Parker and Dylan Sellers produced and fully funded Spin Me Round.

“We have long admired Jeff Baena’s films and are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with him and his incredible filmmaking team on this fun and hilarious ride,” said Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Film. “Jeff, Alison and the Duplass Brothers are true creative geniuses and icons of independent cinema, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this all-star cast over the summer.”

Baena added: “I was really impressed with Arianna and her team’s passion, thoughtfulness and innovation coupled with their track record of ushering in so many incredible independent films. I’m so grateful to have an opportunity to finally partner with IFC Films and share Spin Me Round with the world.”

Courtney Thomasma, General Manager of AMC+, said: “Spin Me Round is the perfect summer fare for our subscribers, who continue to come to AMC+ as a premium destination for compelling new feature films with their favorite stars. We are huge fans of Alison Brie, who our audience knows well from the iconic Mad Men, and we’re excited to be working with her, Jeff Baena and the entire producing team on this delightful new movie.”

Barrio’s “The Trip to Spain” to Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival

Marta Barrio is making a special Trip to New York City…

The third installment of Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip series, The Trip to Spainstarring the Spanish actress, will debut theatrically on August 11.

Marta Barrio

In addition to Barrio, the IFC Films release also stars Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Claire Keelan. will make its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 22.

After jaunts through northern England and Italy, Coogan and Brydon embark on another deadpan culinary road trip in Spain. Over plates of pintxos and paella, the pair exchange barbs and their patented celebrity impressions, as well as more serious reflections on what it means to settle into middle age.

The Trip was released in June 2011 and grossed $2M while its sequel The Trip to Italy made close to $3M stateside, close to $6M overall worldwide, in August 2014.

IFC Films’ Acquires U.S Distribution Rights to Marc Carreté’s First Feature “Asmodexia”

It looks like Marc Carreté will be invoking fear in the U.S.

IFC Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the Spanish filmmaker’s first feature film Asmodexia.

Asmodexia

IFC Midnight plans to release the Barcelona-set horror film in the fall.

Asmodexiafollows an exorcist (portrayed by Lluis Marco) and his granddaughter (Claudia Pons) over five days as they try to help the people possessed by a fast-spreading infection of the soul and are tracked by a mysterious cult.

The film also stars Albert Baró, Marta Belmonte, Pepo Blasco and Marina Durán.

No word on an exact release date.

Trailer Released for del Toro’s Drama “Jimmy P.”

Benicio del Toro is going native (and psycho) in his next project…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actor is starring in Jimmy P., Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.

Benicio del Toro in Jimmy PBenicio del Toro in Jimmy P

del Toro stars as a Native American riddled with postwar mental trauma Mathieu Amalric portrays the Hungarian Jewish doctor bent on solving the mystery locked in his patient’s mind.

Writer-director Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale, Kings & Queen) adapted Jimmy P. from real-life psychotherapist Georges Devereux‘s study of a Blackfoot Indian who’d served in World War II. The case is cited as prime example of dream interpretation and the “talking cure,” a verbal therapy utilized by Sigmund Freud.

Reviewing from the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where Jimmy P. debuted in competition, The Hollywood Reporter praised the film for avoiding cliches and capitalizing on its two stars: “The whole project is saved largely thanks to the subtext of ethnic discrimination that runs through the film, and two riveting central performances, which overcome a wobbly start to find emotional balance by the final reel.”

IFC Films will release Jimmy P., Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian in theaters on February 14 and through VOD Feb. 20.

IFC Films Acquires US Rights to Del Toro’s “Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian”

Benicio Del Toro’s latest project will play in more places than the Plains…

IFC Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the Arnaud Desplechin-directed Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.

Benicio Del Toro

The film, which stars Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric, premiered at Cannes and was just screened at the New York Film Festival.

Desplechin, Kent Jones and Julie Peyr adapted the script from the George Devereux book Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian.

The series is about the author’s relationship and multidisciplinary study of Jimmy Picard, a Blackfoot Indian, who fought in World War II and suffered from psychological distress.

IFC is expected to release the film in early 2014.

AMC Networks Acquires Braga’s “On the Road”

It looks like Alice Braga’s latest film will be released in theaters this fall…

The 29-year-old Brazilian actress’ On the Road has been acquired by AMC Networks a week before it premieres in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Alice Braga

Buying all U.S. rights to Walter Salles’ adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s classic novel of the same name, AMC Networks announced that its distribution labels IFC Films and Sundance Selects will release the film later this fall in theaters.

Along with Braga—who rose to fame following her starring role opposite Will Smith in I Am Legend—the film stars Twilight’s Kristen Stewart, TRON: Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss and Viggo Mortensen.

Alice Braga's On the Road Poster

Jose Rivera wrote the screenplay for the film, which brings to life the classic novel based on the spontaneous cross-country adventures of Kerouac and his friends during the middle of the 20th century.

On the Road is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat Generation that was inspired by jazz, poetry and drug experiences. While many of the names and details of Kerouac’s experiences are changed for the novel, hundreds of references in On the Road have real-world counterparts.