Protagonist launches Submarine; Soda finds Beds

Protagonist Pictures will be handling international sales on Warp Films’ new project Submarine, a comedy written and directed by Richard Ayoade, currently in pre-production.

Based on Joe Dunthorne’s debut novel, it is the coming-of-age story of 15-year-old Oliver Tate who is on a quest to lose his virginity to a pyromaniac bully and to stop his mother leaving his father for her capoeira teacher.

Casting for the film is currently under way, with Michael Sheen and Paddy Considine both confirmed.
Submarine will benefit from the creative input of Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld and Jeremy Kramer through Warp Films’ alliance with Red Hour Films.

Finance for the development of the film has come from Film4, with production finance also coming from Film4. The producers are also in talks with the UKFC’s New Cinema Fund which is headed up by Lenny Crooks.  Shooting is due to start at the end of August.

Meanwhile, Protagonist Pictures has sold UK and Irish rights on Alexis Dos Santos’ Unmade Beds to UK distributor Soda Pictures, who plan to release the film in autumn 2009. The deal was negotiated between negotiated by Eve Gabereau and Edward Fletcher, co-managing directors of Soda Pictures, and Protagonist Pictures CEO Ben Roberts.

Unmade Beds will premiere in the UK at Edinburgh in June 2009 in the British Gala section. It sold in the US to IFC Films following its launch at Sundance 2009 and screened at Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals.

To date the film has sold internationally to IFC (US), Cineart (Benelux), Madman (Australia/New Zealand), Rezo Film (France), Front Row (Middle East).