Vertical Entertainment has acquired all US rights to the Russian 3D animated feature The Snow Queen. Wizart Distribution’s Diana Yurinova handled international sales in Cannes.

Maxim Sveshnikov and Vlad Barbe directed from a screenplay by Barbe and Vadim Sveshnikov based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.

Yuri Moskvin, Vladimir Nikolaev,
Olga Sinelshchikova, Sergey Rapoport, Alexander Ligay and Timur Bekmambetov produced.

The Snow Queen premiered in Russia and CIS in December where it grossed more than $9m.

The film has also been released theatrically in Ukraine, Brazil, South Korea, Israel, Turkey, UAE, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

A sequel is planned for winter 2014 on the story of a young girl who sets out to rescue her brother from an evil queen who has blanketed the world in ice.

Peter Jarowey of Vertical Entertainment negotiated the deal with WME’s Deb McIntosh on behalf of the filmmakers.