NETFLIX ACQUIRES MULTIPLE TERRITORIES FOR RICKY GERVAIS'S UPCOMING FILM, "DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD"
Film from Entertainment One Will Premiere on Netflix in 2017 Everywhere
Except UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Comedy Film Written and Directed by Gervais Centers on Character Made Famous
in The Office
Beverly Hills, CA -- June 16, 2016 - Netflix has acquired U.S. and select international rights to Ricky Gervais's upcoming film David Brent: Life on the Road, excluding the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The film will premiere on Netflix in 2017.
In the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, the film will be receiving a saturation theatrical release by Entertainment One (eOne) this coming August.
The feature length film sees a documentary crew catching up with David Brent twelve years on from the BBC2 documentary The Office. Brent is now a travelling salesman, chasing his dream of rock stardom by self-financing a UK tour with his band, 'Foregone Conclusion'.
"We are thrilled to welcome the iconic character of David Brent back to Netflix, as we were the home to the first digital deal for The Office, starring Ricky Gervais. Our existing collaborations across series, for Derek, and in film, with Special Correspondents have been fruitful, and it's only fitting for us to have Ricky's upcoming feature film available to as many of our viewers as possible," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer.
"I'm so glad the mighty Netflix have once again outbid all competitors in North America to show my movie exclusively. It is the perfect platform for me, giving complete creative freedom and also millions of instant viewers who can watch again and again. I can't wait for David Brent to follow it up with his US live tour!," said Gervais.
"We are thrilled that Netflix has come on board to help us bring this beloved character to audiences," said Steve Bertram, President, Global Film Group, Entertainment One. "We're only a couple of months away from our event theatrical releases in the UK and Australian markets, and alongside David Brent's many fans, we're counting down the days for his exciting debut on the big screen."
In addition to Gervais, the cast includes the multi-talented Ben Bailey Smith (Midwinder of the Spirit, Law & Order) as Dom, most recently seen rapping in Brent's 'Equality Street' and writer/comedian Tom Basden (Plebs, The Wrong Mans) as Dan, Brent's road manager. David Brent: Life on the Road sees the introduction of Brent's new office colleagues including love-struck Pauline (Jo Hartley, This is England '90, Not Safe For Work), his 'comedic' partner in crime Nigel (Tom Bennett, PhoneShop), his office nemesis Jezza (Andrew Brooke, PhoneShop, Babylon) and his much needed Therapist (Nina Sosanya, Love Actually, W1A). Brent's Drummer in his band 'Foregone Conclusion' is the incredibly talented Andy Burrows of Razorlight and We Are Scientists fame.
The cast also includes Kevin Bishop (The Kevin Bishop Show), award winning Roisin Conaty (Impractical Jokers UK), Diane Morgan (Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe), Ashley McGuire (Derek, Miranda) and introducing Alexander Arnold (Skins, Poldark) and Mandeep Dhillon (24: Live Another Day, Some Girls).
David Brent: Life on the Road is a LOTR Films Ltd production, co-financed by eOne and BBC Films. The film is executive produced by Duncan Hayes, Christine Langan and Alex Hamilton, produced by Charlie Hanson (Cemetery Junction, Derek, Extras) and co-produced by Katie Mavroleon (Marley's Ghosts, Pompidou).
About Netflix
Netflix is the world''s leading Internet television network with over 81 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company's diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales, family programming, merchandising and licensing, and digital content. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.
Entertainment One's robust network includes film and television studio The Mark Gordon Company; content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; leading feature film production and global sales company Sierra Pictures; unscripted television production companies Renegade 83, Paperny Entertainment and Force Four Entertainment; world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning digital agency Secret Location.
The Company's rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 100,000 hours of film and television content and approximately 40,000 music tracks.
About BBC Films
BBC Films is at the forefront of independent filmmaking in the UK, developing and co-producing around twelve films a year. Headed up by Christine Langan, BBC Films was awarded the Michael Balcon BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2015.Recent releases include Thomas Vinterberg's Far from the Madding Crowd, Alan Rickman's A Little Chaos, Carol Morley's The Falling, Simon Curtis' Woman in Gold, Saul Dibb's Suite Fran�aise, and Morgan Matthews' X + Y. Upcoming releases include Ben Palmer's romantic comedy Man Up starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell; Bill Condon's drama Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellen; Rufus Norris' London Road; Richard Bracewell's family comedy Bill; Nicholas Hytner's comedy drama The Lady in the Van starring Maggie Smith; and John Crowley's romantic drama Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan. BBC Films' eclectic back catalogue includes Pride, Saving Mr. Banks, Philomena, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, My Week with Marilyn, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Jane Eyre, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Made in Dagenham, An Education, In the Loop, Fish Tank, My Summer of Love, Truly Madly Deeply, and Billy Elliot.
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