Keanu Reeves

The first on-site Toronto deal has closed as Bryon Allen snapped up North American rights to out-of-festival Keanu Reeves sci-fi thriller Replicas in a $4m deal and plans a wide release through his Entertainment Studios.

Lotus Entertainment has sold most of the world and is in Toronto looking to close outstanding territories the UK, Australia and Italy.

Allen brokered the deal with CAA and closed the transaction early on Friday morning. Screen understands Entertainment Studios plans a wide release that could happen in early 2018. Entertainment Studios scored a breakout summer hit this year with the $5.5m shark thriller 47 Meters Down, which grossed $44.1m after launching theatrically in June.

In Replicas, Reeves plays a neuroscientist who tries to bring back his dead family. Also starring are Alice Eve and Thomas Middleditch. Jeffrey Nachmanoff directed from a screenplay by St John, with a story credit by Stephen Hamel.

Lotus has licensed rights to Telemunchen in Germany and Metropolitan in France, as well as a raft of previously announced sales that include: Benelux (Dutch Filmworks), Scandinavia (MisLabel), Spain (Second Gen), South Korea (Joy N Contents), South Africa (Ster Kinekor), Hong Kong and Malaysia (MVP Entertainment), Japan (Hakuhodo), and Vietnam (Ram Indo).

Riverstone Pictures financed Replicas in association with Remstar Studios and Blue Rider Puerto Rico. Nik Bower and Deepak Nayar served as executive producers for Riverstone, Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel for Lotus, and Maxime Remillard and Clark Peterson for Remstar. James Dodson, Erik Howsam, Chad St John, Walter Josten, Gregory Ouanhon and Sebastian Boneta are also on the roster. 

Replicas is a Company Films production, a di Bonaventura Pictures production and a Lotus Entertainment production, in association with Ocean Park Entertainment, 74850 and Fundamental Films

Reeves produced the film with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Hamel, Mark Gao, and Luis Riefkohl.