Sony Pictures Classics has officially acquired all the rights to Ralph Fiennes‘ The White Crow for the film’s release in North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Asia (excluding China, Japan, and Singapore), and Benelux from HanWay Films. The film is directed by Fiennes (Harry Potter, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and the script is written by David Hare (The Hours, The Reader).
The White Crow film is inspired by Julie Kavanaugh’s biographical book Rudolf Nureyev: The Life. Rudolf Nureyev was the most famous ballet dancer in Russia during the 1950s. The drama film will focus on Nureyev’s dangerous defection from the Soviet Union to the West.
The main cast of The White Crow stars world-class ballet performer Oleg Ivenko as Rudolf Nureyev, Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Color) as Nureyev’s great friend, Clara Saint and Fiennes as the famous Russian ballet coach, Alexander Pushkin. The rest of the cast also includes dancer Sergei Polunin, Chulpan Khamatova, Oliver Rabourdin and Raphael Personnaz and Louis Hofmann.
The White Crow will be the fourth film that Fiennes will be working on together with Sony Pictures Classic. “I’m really delighted to be reuniting with Michael Barker and Tom Bernard and the team at Sony Pictures Classics. It’s been a huge challenge to make this film and there’s no question that with their vast experience with such a wide range of films, SPC is the right home for The White Crow. It’s great news,” Fiennes stated in Sony’s press release.
Sony Pictures Classic added that they are very glad to be able to teamed up with Fiennes again. “Ralph Fiennes has fully captured the times and early life of Rudolph Nureyev in the most thrilling way possible with the pulsing energy of the man himself. Also, THE WHITE CROW is especially timely. From Nureyev’s rich life experience in Russia and Paris to his suspenseful defection to the West, we are immersed in an authentic story we’ve never seen before. This is one of those rare movies that crosses so many borders culturally as a satisfying entertainment. We look forward to bringing Ralph’s movie to the public.”
The White Crow was developed by BBC Films and Gabriella Tana (The Duchess) who also produces with Carolyn Marks Blackwood throuh Magnolia Mae Films together with Fienn through Lonely Dragon Productions, and Francois Ivernel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Iron Lady, The Queen) through the French branch of his company, Montebello Productions. Artist and filmmaker Andrew Levitas (The Art of Getting By) produces and finances through his companies Metalwork Pictures and Rogue Black respectively.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
