Amazon Secures Worldwide Rights for Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson’s Romantic Comedy ‘Hello & Paris’ in Over $30 Million Deal
Amazon MGM Studios Pursues Global Rights to Romantic Comedy ‘Hello & Paris’
Amazon MGM Studios is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire the worldwide distribution rights for Hello & Paris, a romantic comedy that will feature Oscar winner Javier Bardem alongside two-time nominee Kate Hudson.
Production is slated to commence later this month. The film draws inspiration from Deborah McKinlay’s novel That Part Was True. Producing the project is Finola Dwyer, a two-time Best Picture nominee known for her work on Brooklyn, in collaboration with Fifth Season.
Elizabeth Chomko, recognized for her direction in What They Had, will write and direct the film, marking Hudson’s first project since her Oscar nomination earlier this year for her role in Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue, alongside Hugh Jackman.
The film has been described as akin to classics such as Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail. Its synopsis states: “After a prickly first encounter in Paris, a fiercely independent landscape architect and a crisis-ridden bestselling novelist begin a sparky, transatlantic exchange over books and recipes—only to discover that the one thing harder than being alone might be choosing not to be.”
Sources indicate that the deal is valued at over $30 million and includes a streaming commitment, with no current plans for a theatrical release. The sales firm 193, backed by Patrick Wachsberger’s Legendary, initially handled international sales, but Amazon has since taken the project off the market.
Chomko is particularly known for her Sundance drama What They Had, which starred Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon. Bardem, a four-time Oscar nominee, is celebrated for his dramatic performances, although he has also garnered acclaim in romantic comedy-dramas such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Eat Pray Love. Hudson has a successful track record in the rom-com genre, featuring in films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Bride Wars.
