Sumerian Pictures Acquires U.S. Rights to Sundance Hit ‘Josephine’
Sumerian Pictures has secured U.S. rights to the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition and Audience Award winner Josephine in a competitive seven-figure deal. The company plans a substantial theatrical release and an extensive awards campaign for the film.
Featuring an impressive cast that includes Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Mason Reeves, Philip Ettinger, and Syra McCarthy, Josephine emerged as one of the standout titles at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. There had been considerable speculation regarding which company would acquire domestic rights.
Following its triumphant premiere at Sundance, Josephine is set to compete in the main event of the Berlin Film Festival, with its first public screening scheduled for February 20. The narrative, written, produced, and directed by Beth de Araújo, explores the emotional aftermath faced by eight-year-old Josephine (played by Reeves) after she witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park. As Josephine struggles to cope, her parents (Tatum and Chan) find themselves grappling with their own fears about addressing the incident with her.
“I’m pleased to see that Sumerian has emerged as a new distribution company, made up of people who love films and are committed to inviting audiences into the theaters,” said de Araújo.
The film’s double win at Sundance has already heightened interest among awards season observers, echoing earlier successes for Minari and CODA, which won similar accolades in 2021. Strong reviews of de Araújo’s treatment of this challenging subject matter have further positioned Josephine as a contender in early awards predictions.
Sumerian founder Ash Avildsen and Sumerian Pictures President Rob Williams described the film as “an enthralling, deeply emotional, and powerful film that deserves all the acclaim and accolades it has already received from Sundance.” They expressed excitement about collaborating with de Araújo and the creative team to bring Josephine to wider audiences.
Williams managed the acquisition negotiations with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance.
Josephine joins an upcoming lineup of theatrical releases from Sumerian Pictures, which includes the romantic comedy Mile End Kicks, directed by Chandler Levack, and slated for release on April 17; as well as The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard, directed by David Verbeek; Broken Voices, directed by Ondřej Provazník; and Horsegirls, directed by Lauren Meyering.
The film is produced by an accomplished team, including David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Beth de Araújo, Marina Stabile, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Mark H. Rapaport, and Crystine Zhang. Financing for Josephine was provided by Kinematics, Spark Features, Yintai, and de Araújo’s company, Vibrato, in collaboration with Free Association.
Josephine marks de Araújo’s second feature, following her 2022 debut Soft & Quiet, which premiered at SXSW and was later acquired by Blumhouse and released by Momentum Pictures.
Goodfellas is managing international sales for the film as it prepares for its competition at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
