Paris-based Wild Bunch Distribution has closed an output deal with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Intl.
Blumhouse Intl. is the new foreign sales division of Blum’s multi-media company Blumhouse Prods — the shingle behind groundbreaking micro-budget genre franchise “Paranormal Activity.” The sales arm was launched in the run-up to Cannes under a worldwide distribution and servicing deal with Stuart Ford’s IM Global.
Pact allows Wild Bunch Distribution (WBD) to have first look option to distribute 10 Blumhouse-produced films in France over the next two years.
WBD has a stellar track record at marketing Blumhouse pics in Gaul. It scored big with the first opus of “Paranormal Activity.” Considered the most profitable film ever made in Hollywood, the $15K-pic grossed $9.6 million at the French box office and revealed Gallic auds’ appetite for high-concept, edgy American genre fare.
Indeed, France was “Paranormal Activity’s” third-biggest foreign market, after the U.K. and Australia.
The second, third and fourth installments of the franchise, which were released in Gaul by Paramount, earned an average of $7 million at the box office.
In light of the record-breaking profitability of “Paranormal Activity,” WBD banked on Blum’s next micro-budgeted genre films, “Insidious” and “Sinister” (pictured above); and it once again scored. “Sinister” grossed over $3.2 million in France; while “Insidious” took $4.1 million. France was “Sinister’s” second-biggest foreign market and “Insidious”‘ third largest territory outside the U.S.
WBD has already nabbed “Sinister 2” at script stage. Pic was one of the projects being shopped at Cannes by Blumhouse Intl.
Blumhouse Prods’ pipeline include the thriller “Visions,” with “Saw 3D” helmer Kevin Greutert on board to helm and Joe Carnahan’s comedy thriller “Stretch.”
Upcoming Blumhouse pics’ releases include James DeMonaco’s “The Purge” (June 7), James Wan’s “Insidious Chapter 2” (Sept.13) Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman’s “Paranormal Activity 5” (Oct.25) and “Ghosts” (Jan. 10).
WBD, one of France’s top indie distribs, is part of European powerhouse Wild Bunch, which had seven films – including Palme d’Or-winning “Blue is the Warmest Color” and James Gray’s “The Immigrant” — playing in official selection at Cannes. WBD will distribute both “The Immigrant” and “Blue.”
