Sony Classics Buys SXSW Winner 'Wishful Thinking'
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide rights to 'Wishful Thinking,' written and directed by Graham Parkes, which took the top narrative feature prize at its SXSW world premiere.
- Lewis Pullman stars alongside Maya Hawke as Charlie and Julia, a struggling musician and ambitious game designer whose volatile relationship triggers earthquakes, stock-market swings and geopolitical chaos after a couples-therapy seminar run by mysterious twin healers.
- The supporting cast rounds out with Amita Rao, Randall Park, Eric Rahill, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant and Kerri Kenney-Silver, with Pullman also producing through Buckwild Pictures alongside Dan Gedman and Matt Smith's Highway 10 (which fully financed the film) and Kara Durrett for Pinky Promise.
- Sony Pictures Classics framed the film as 'romantic, unpredictable and genuinely funny,' calling it 'the kind of romantic comedy meant to be shared in a theater' and marking a new collaboration with Highway 10 and a continued one with Pinky Promise.
- Graham Parkes said being picked up by Sony Classics — which he called 'a singular champion of independent cinema for nearly 35 years' — was 'truly the ultimate recognition' for his cast and crew.
- The deal was negotiated between Sony Pictures Classics and UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers.
Why it matters: For Sony Pictures Classics, snapping up the SXSW grand jury winner extends its decades-long reputation for shepherding prestige indie comedies into theatrical release, while the full financing from Highway 10 signals continued appetite from private equity-backed outfits to bankroll mid-budget rom-coms with star-driven casts.
Ask SkimNews
