Sony Pictures Classics has pounced on a hot awards prospect, acquiring US rights and all available territories on Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic and feature directorial debut.

Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead tells the story of a few lost days in the life of Davis as he bursts out of his silent period, conspires with a Rolling Stone writer to steal back his music and relives the years he had with his great love, Frances Taylor.

SPC tends to premiere its choice films in Telluride, although the film’s official world premiere has already been set for October 10 as the New York Film Festival closing night gala.

Steven Baigelman and Cheadle co-wrote and Cheadle stars alongside Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michael Stuhlbarg and Keith Stanfield. 

Cheadle, Lenore Zerman, Pamela Hirsch, Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Darryl Porter and Vince Wilburn, Jr produced, while Mark Amin, Baigelman, Jonathan Gardner, Davis’ son Erin Davis and daughter Cheryl Davis, serve as executive producers.

The film was made with the participation of The Miles Davis Estate. Wagner’s BiFrost Pictures financed the project in association with Ingenious and Sobini Films

UTA Independent Film Group arranged the financing and represented the filmmakers in the deal. 

IM Global handled pre-sales in multiple territories not covered in this deal. They are: the UK, South Korea, Middle East, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Portugal, Switzerland, former Yugoslavia and Israel.