Film sales and finance outfit Global Constellation has closed a first raft of sales on Cannes breakout animated comedy “Jim Queen,” which will be screening at the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival.
Following its buzzy premiere in Cannes’ Midnight Screening slot, the film has sold to Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Benelux (O’Brother), Germany (Capelight Pictures), Switzerland (Praesens), Austria (Polyfilm), Spain (Filmin), Israel (Lev Cinema), Australia and New Zealand (Madman), Canada (Photon Films), Brazil (Pandora Filmes/Belas Artes Grupo), Mexico (Pimienta Films) and Taiwan (Creative Century), with additional territories, including the U.S., in negotiation.
The Jokers Films released the film in French theaters on June 17, where it debuted at No. 3 at the box office, behind “Toy Story 5” and “Backrooms.” The film attracted over 16,000 admissions across 95 screens on its opening day and surpassed 54,000 admissions ($450,000 equivalent) during its first weekend of release.
The film is directed by Marco Nguyen and Nicolas Athané, and produced by Bobbypills’ David Alric and Arthur Delabays.
Hailed by Variety’s Guy Lodge as a “hilarious adult animation on literal steroids” and “infectiously giddy,” the film sparked an enthusiastic audience reaction in Cannes with the Grand Théâtre Lumière “erupting in laughter, breaking into song, and ultimately delivering a raucous late-night standing ovation,” Global Constellation stated, inspiring Cannes director Thierry Frémaux to say: “ ‘Jim Queen’ was one of the most beautiful screenings in the festival’s history.”
