Black Bear looking at US rights to Matthew McConaughey SXSW hit ‘The Rivals Of Amziah King’

Black Bear’s fledgling US theatrical distribution operation is reportedly weighing up taking on US rights to The Rivals Of Amziah King starring Matthew McConaughey, which garnered strong reviews after its SXSW world premiere earlier this year.

Black Bear fully financed, produced and launched international sales in Cannes two years ago on the Oklahoma-set crime drama about a beekeeper who reconnects with his foster daughter and investigates a crime.

The feature drew a rousing response from the SXSW audience in Austin, Texas, but has remained on the table until now.

However with a pipeline to fill, ambitious Black Bear may be about to take on a film it made and originally tried to sell to another distributor. The new division led by president Ben Kramer just hired former Lionsgate distribution supremo David Spitz to head up US distribution.

Were a transaction to close, it remains to be seen whether The Rivals Of Amziah King would land a 2025 slot and possible awards run, or get held back for 2026. Black Bear representatives did not return calls since trade press reports appeared on Friday afternoon.

That an acclaimed feature has remained on the table for this long despite the return of a star in his first on-screen film role since The Gentlemen in 2019 – excluding voice parts – speaks to the cautious nature of the US distribution sector. Buyers have been rocked in the past few years by a pandemic, Hollywood strikes, cost-cutting, the ongoing prevalence of streaming, and the challenge of standing out in a competitive marketplace.

Black Bear has its pawprints over two acquisition titles premiering in TIFF next month: it produced and handles sales on Sydney Sweeney boxing biopic Christy directed by David Michôd; and backed and handles international sales on Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall lead Daniel Roher’s heist thriller Tuner, which UTA Independent Film Group represents for North America.

McConaughey also stars in Paul Greengrass’s TIFF world premiere The Lost Bus from Apple Original Films.

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