Apple Studios has officially announced the release date for Sian Heder’s coming-of-age drama film titled CODA, which won multiple major awards at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, including U.S. Grand Jury Prize and U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. Starring Locke & Key‘s Emilia Jones, the film is scheduled to make its debut this coming summer on August 13 in theaters and on Apple TV+.
The August release date will pit the film against three tough competitors in the form of Ryan Reynolds’ long-delayed action-comedy Free Guy, Jennifer Hudson’s Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, and Stephen Lang’s Don’t Breathe 2.
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CODA (an acronym for Child of Deaf Adults) centers around 17-year-old Ruby, who is the sole hearing member of a deaf family. Her life revolves around acting as an interpreter for her parents and working on the family’s struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother. But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles. Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
Based on the award-winning French film titled La Famille Belier, the film stars Emilia Jones (Locke & Key) as Ruby Rossi, Eugenio Derbez (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Bernardo Villalobos, Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God) as Jackie Rossie, Daniel Durant (You) as Leo Rossi, Troy Kotsur as Frank Rossi, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (Vikings) as Miles, Amy Forsyth, and Kevin Chapman.
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CODA is written and directed by Sian Heder. It is produced by Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi, Patrick Wachsberger, and Jérôme Seydoux with Ardavan Safaee and Sarah Borch-Jacobsen set as producers. The film was a co-production by Vendome Pictures and Pathe Films.
Apple Studios officially acquired the worldwide distribution rights to CODA after its world premiere at Sundance. The film also went on to earn the festival’s top prizes, including the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize.
