Sony PicturesClassics has acquired North American, UK, Italian and German rights to DanHarris' coming-of-age story Imaginary Heroes, which makes its world premiere atToronto next month.

Harris'directorial debut stars Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels, Emile Hirsch andMichelle Williams in a tale about a dysfunctional American family on a shakycourse of self-discovery.

Illana Diamantand Art Linson produced the picture and Harris, whose screenwriting creditsinclude X2 and SupermanReturns, also wrote thescreenplay.

Sony Pictures Classics plans to open Imaginary Heroes for one week in December to qualify for awardsconsideration, followed by a national release in early 2005.

"Dan Harris, inhis directorial debut, is a talent of great proportion," Sony Pictures Classicsexecutives Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Dylan Leiner said in a jointstatement.

"We feel aboutDan the way we felt about Richard Linklater, Neil LaBute, Sally Potter, ToddSolondz, and Don Roos when we presented their early work."