Paramount Classics has acquired multiple territory rightsto Brad Anderson's The Machinist starringChristian Bale from Filmax International.

The studio specialized arm bought the psychologicalthriller for North America, UK, South Africa, Latin America, Australia and NewZealand. Paramount Classics, which previously handled Anderson's HappyAccidents, is planning an end of yearrelease for the film which world premiered at this year's Sundance FilmFestival and also played Panorama at the Berlin Film Festival.

Produced by Julio Fernandez, the film was fully financedby Filmax in Spain and shot in Barcelona even though it is set in anunspecified US city. Scott Kosar wrote the thriller in which Bale lostconsiderable weight to play a factory machinist who has not slept in a year andwhose life becomes a living nightmare of paranoia and fatigue.

Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside, Aitana SanchezGijon and John Sharian also star.

The deal between Paramount Classics and FilmaxInternational was negotiated by John Sloss with Endeavor.

"Weare extremely proud to be working with Brad, a director of incredible vision,"said Paramount Classics co-presidents Ruth Vitale and David Dinerstein in astatement. "His film is powerfully unique and evocative. Bale'swork is equally impressive. We believe this will be a performance to bereckoned with come Awards season."

"Iam very excited to be working with Ruth, David and everyone at ParamountClassics, a team that is as impassioned by independent film as I am," saidAnderson. "They've been very successful releasing films that take chances and Iam proud to be part of the new line up."

"Weare very excited to work on this movie with Paramount Classics," said theFilmax team of Fernandez, Carlos Fernandez and Antonio Nava in the statement. "Theenthusiasm they have shown and our identical vision as how to work on thisunique picture have impressed all of us at Filmax. When we assumed the entireproduction of such an exciting independent movie, and decided to transformBarcelona into a US city for Brad Anderson, we positively knew we would findthe right home in the US when it came to distribute the movie. It was not easy,but one and a half years later, it has come true."

The Machinist acquisition is the latest in a string ofacquisitions from Paramount Classics including Patrice Leconte's ConfidencesTrop Intimes, Jacob Aaron Estes' MeanCreek and Roger Michell's EnduringLove. Other 2004 releases includePaul McGuigan's The Reckoning,Mike Hodges' I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Yann Samuell's Love Me If You Dare, David Mackenzie's Asylum and Matthew Ryan Hoge's TheUnited States Of Leland.