Growing UK distributor Contender Films, now owned by Canada's Entertainment One, has acquired all UK rights for features Franklyn and Eddie The Eagle, both sold by HanWay Films.

Also, Entertainment One's Seville Pictures took Canadian rights to both titles.

Gerald McMorrow's feature debut Franklyn is a story of four lost souls in contemporary London and a futuristic faith-based metropolis. Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green and Sam Riley star. HanWay's Jeremy Thomas produced the film, which is now in post.

Eddie The Eagle is a UK-Canada co-production to shoot in the UK and Calgary. Steve Coogan stars in the true story of an unlikely Olympic hero. Declan Lowney directed from a script by Sean Macaulay. Producers are John Heyman, Rupert Maconick and Roy Krost for World Film Services, Saville Productions and Silver Screen International. Film-makers hope to launch the film in February 2010 to coincide with the Winter Olympics.

The deal for both films was negotiated between Contender CEO Richard Bridgwood and HanWay CEO Tim Haslam.

Commenting on the deal, Contender's Richard Bridgwood said: 'We're delighted to build on our relationship with HanWay following our successful release of Nick Broomfield's Battle For Haditha. In Eddie The Eagle and Franklyn we believe we have found two distinctive, high quality and highly commercial British movies which will play exceptionally well for us in both territories and which are a great complement to the slate we're acquiring through our output deal with Summit Entertainment.'

Adds HanWay's Tim Haslam: 'We're thrilled that Franklyn and Eddie have landed with Contender. Contender is aggressively building an all rights distribution business and we firmly believe in their ambition.'

John Hamilton of Seville Pictures added; 'We're very excited to be working with HanWay. Eddie The Eagle will be very highly anticipated in Canada and we feel extremely confident in the prospects for both Eddie and Franklyn as well. This is certain to be one of many successful film slates we will work on together with HanWay.'

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