The 'Hustlers' producer's STXinternational division will shop Black Bear titles internationally, and Elevation Pictures will distribute STX movies in Canada.
Robert Simonds’ STX Entertainment and Teddy Schwarzman’s Black Bear Pictures have struck an exclusive output deal that will see STXinternational, the Hustlers producer's international division, sell and distribute all Black Bear productions overseas.
The deal, unveiled Wednesday in time for the Berlin Film Festival, will also see Toronto-based Elevation Pictures, in which Black Bear has a major stake, distribute all STX productions in Canada after the international box office success of pics like Hustlers, I Feel Pretty and Den of Thieves.
"We are thrilled to further develop what has already been a highly successful partnership with Teddy, Black Bear and Elevation Pictures," said John Friedberg, president of STXinternational, in a statement, before adding: "Teddy’s filmmaker and star-driven approach and proven track record for delivering both prestigious and commercial films make him a perfect fit for STX and our partners around the world."
The distribution tie-up also calls for STXinternational to distribute Black Bear’s films in the U.K. and Ireland, where they will complement the studio’s in-house productions and other international acquisitions. STX distributes its own films in the U.K., but has also recruited Amazon for SVOD releases of titles like Hustlers, I Feel Pretty and Den of Thieves.
STXinternational earlier locked up the international distribution rights to a number of Black Bear titles, including the upcoming The Marsh King’s Daughter, J Blakeson’s thriller I Care a Lot, starring Rosamund Pike, and The Rental, a thriller directed by Dave Franco and starring Alison Brie and Dan Stevens.
"Black Bear is thrilled to formalize our relationship with STXinternational," said Schwarzman, Black Bear’s president and CEO, in his own statement. STXInternational has a network of international distribution partners in more than 150 territories worldwide.
Elevation Pictures and STX earlier collaborated in Canada on the local release of Hustlers and The Upside.
A version of this story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter's Feb. 20 daily issue at the Berlin Film Festival.
