Lightning Picks Up Int'l Sales Rights for Rom-Coms "COACH" & "TAKING CHANCES"
Santa Monica, CA – May 4, 2009 – With “feel-good” movies continuing to propel domestic and international box offices to record numbers amidst the global recession, Lightning Entertainment, the Santa Monica based sales and distribution company, announced today that it has acquired international sales rights to two romantic comedies that the company will debut in Cannes; “Coach” - a romantic comedy/20-something coming-of-age story starring Hugh Dancy (“Confessions of a Shopaholic,” “King Arthur” and the Sundance hit “Adam”), and “Taking Chances,” starring Justin Long (“Drag Me To Hell”, “He’s Just Not That Into You” “Live Free or Die Hard,”) and Emmanuelle Chriqui (“You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,” “Entourage,” “Cadillac Records”). The announcement was made by Lightning Entertainment Co-Presidents Rich Goldberg and Richard S. Guardian.
Currently in Post-Production, “Coach” marks the feature directorial debut of Will Frears who also wrote the screenplay with Jason Pugatch. Producers are Lemore Syvan (“The Private Lives of Pippa Lee,” “Gracie” “Sherry Baby”), Jamie Gordon (“Swimfan”, “Wedding Daze”) and Courtney Potts (Swimfan”, “Wedding Daze”). Alison Palmer (“This Film is Not Yet Rated”), Michael Roban (“City Island”, “Love in the Time of Cholera”) and Damon Martin (“Love N’ Dancing”, “The Guitar”) are Executive Producers.
Starring alongside Hugh Dancy is Liane Balaban (“Last Chance Harvey” “New Waterford Girl,”), Mamie Gummer (“Stop-Loss,” “The Hoax”) and David Zayas (“The Savages” “16 Blocks” “Dexter”).
In “Coach,” Nick Scanlon (Dancy) is 28-years old unemployed, and lives on a trust fund. After being dumped by his girlfriend and surrounded by his now mature and working childhood friends, Nick becomes motivated to do something more with his life. He quickly finds himself a job coaching a middle school soccer team down the block from his trust-fund financed apartment. This incentive is rewarded when Nick meets Gabrielle (Balaban), the beautiful doctor from the hospital close to his team’s home field.
Through an unlikely friendship with the team’s thirteen-year-old star player, and a budding relationship with Gabrielle, who constantly challenges his party-boy lifestyle, Nick begins to understand that growing up is more complicated than he ever could have imagined – whether it be at thirteen, or at twenty-eight. Nick embraces his new challenge, his new girlfriend, and his soccer team of misfits, and with a few missteps along the way, ends up finding himself in a place he never thought possible.
“Taking Chances,” screening in the Marche’, is directed by Talmage Cooley from a script by Annie Nocenti. Producers are Larry Furlong, Lori Christopher, Michael Aguilar, Kyle Dean Jackson and David Guy Levy.
Starring alongside Long and Chriqui in the film are Rob Corddry (“Old School,” “What Happens in Vegas”), Keir O’Donnell (“Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” “Wedding Crashers”), Missi Pyle (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Big Fish”), Jimmi Simpson (“Zodiac”) and David Jensen (“Ocean’s 11,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).
In “Taking Chances,” Chase Revere (Justin Long) discovers that a Native American casino is about to be built in his decaying hometown. As the self-appointed protector of the small town's rather meager place in American history, Chase joins forces with a wild but sexy girl (Emmanuelle Chriqui) to launch an all-out war against the project. Along the way, the duo earn the wrath of the entire town -- whose well-meaning but simple citizens believe that the casino will save their local economy – and get an education about hope, love, heartbreak and how history is really written.
Both “Coach” and “Taking Chances” will have market debuts at the upcoming Cannes Market. “Taking Chances” will have full market premiere screenings. “Coach” will have promo footage available for international buyers.
Commented Guardian, “It’s no secret that broad commercial comedies have been a recipe for box office success in 2009 and all signs indicate that this trend will continue through the recession, and beyond. We feel we have two films in “Coach” and “Taking Chances” that will quench audiences’ appetite for lighter, feel-good fare and perform strongly around the world.”
The deal for “Coach” was negotiated by Rich Goldberg and Lightning corporate counsel Megan Holstein on behalf of Lightning and Lemore Syvan on behalf of Yeah Players Films. “Taking Chances” was acquired by Lightning Senior VP of Acquisitions Joseph Dickstein who negotiated with Megan Holstein on behalf of Lightning with Larry Furlong and Kyle Dean Jackson on behalf of Two Roads Entertainment and Tunnel, Inc.
In addition to “Coach” and “Taking Chances,” Lightning’s diverse slate at the upcoming Cannes Market includes the ghost story “No-Do” (The Beckoning”), “The Merry Gentleman” starring Michel Keaton and Kelly McDonald and the man-against-shark thriller “The Reef” from the director and producer of ‘Black Water.”