Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group and Hisako Matsui of Essen Communications are partnering on Leonie, based on the life story of Leonie Gilmour, American mother of world-renowned American-Japanese sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

Matsui directed the feature, which is currently in post-production. Mimi Steinbauer’s Hyde Park International is handling worldwide rights at AFM.

Emily Mortimer stars in the project, produced prior to the Hyde Park/Imagenation Abu Dhabi partnership, alongside Shidou Nakamura and Christina Hendricks. The story focuses on Leonie Gilmour’s dramatic journey of 50 years as a single mother whose resistance against the social norms of the 20th century in both the US and Japan led to Noguchi’s development as a celebrated freethinking artist of international repute.

Mary Kay Place, Nichole Hiltz, Jan Milligan and Kelly Vitz round out the supporting cast. Hyde Park’s Patrick Aiello is executive producer.

“We are extremely pleased to join forces with such a talented and visually innovative director, and we’re equally excited to have Emily, Shidou and Christina aboard to bring Leonie’s incredible courage and heroism to the screen,” Amritraj said.

Joyce Jun of Katten Muchin Rosenman brokered the deal between Hyde Park and Essen. Mortimer is represented by ICM, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and David Weber.  

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