Sony Pictures Classics is understood to be close to a domestic deal. Roman Polanski’s agent Jeff Berg of ICM represented North American rights and declined to comment when approached by Screen at the start of the week, as did SPC co-head Michael Barker.

Carnage stars the powerhouse quartet of Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C Reilly and started shooting in Paris in February. Polanski’s follow-up to The Ghost Writer is based on Yasmina Reza’s Tony award-winning stage play The God Of Carnage.

The comedy drama follows two sets of parents who come together to resolve an incident involving their children and end up fighting among themselves. Polanski and Reza co-wrote the screenplay.

Production partners are France’s SBS Productions, Constantin in Germany and SPI Poland.

SBS is handling international sales and has already concluded a raft of deals to Wild Bunch in the UK, France and Scandinavia, Medusa in Italy, Cineart for Benelux, Village Roadshow in Greece and Swen in Latin America. Constantin holds German rights.