Spanish indie production and distribution outfit Avalon has picked up rights for Spain to Armando Iannucci's political comedy In The Loop from Protagonist Pictures.

Based on the popular British TV comedy series The Thick Of It, Iannucci's In The Loop charts the progress of a fictional Secretary of State for International Development and his staff as they deal with the prospect of war in the Middle East.

'We were drawn to the film because the characters are so strong and the dialogue is very amusing. The discussions they have are extremely relevant in the current political environment,' Enrique Costa, head of distribution at Avalon, told ScreenDaily.

In The Loop will be released in the UK in April by Optimum, and its reception there will influence how Avalon releases it in Spain.

As Costa explained, 'We are going to wait to see what reaction the film gets there before deciding how many prints we release the film on in Spain later this year.'