StudioCanal has sold rights to big-budget Mathieu Kassovitz' sci-fi project Babylon AD to Moviemax in Italy.

Moviemax is looking to release the Vin Diesel-starrer on around 400 prints in the autumn.

The company is considering a festival berth, possibly Venice or Rome.

The new acquisition comes as Moviemax is enjoying hits in Italy including Nim's Island, and Step Up 2 The Streets.

Fox will be releasing Babylon AD in the US and UK in late August, Studiocanal will be releasing the film in France on August 27.

StudioCanal's new sales head Harold Van Lier told Screen there has also been keen interest in the market for Agnes Jaoui's upcoming comedy Let It Rain.

The UK's Curzon Artificial Eye has bought the film as have Korea's Sponge, Scandinavia's Atlantic and several others.

StudioCanal will release in September. Buzz has also been high on Thomas Balmes' Baby(ies) with sales completed in 22 territories including Russia (Depot), Australia's Mad Men (Australia) and Equinoxe (Canada). Another title piquing curiosity My Stars with Catherine Deneuve, Kad Merad and Emmanuelle Beart directed by Laetitia Colombani.