Greenwich Acquires 'Big Break' for North America — SkimNews
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- Greenwich Entertainment acquired North American rights to Big Break, the first feature from New York sketch comedy group Simple Town, and will release the film in theaters across the country next year.
- Big Break is set years after a fictionalized Simple Town has disbanded, reuniting Will Niedmann, Caro Yost and Felipe Di Poi Tamargo with their estranged ex-collaborator Samuel Lanier, the only one who became successful in Hollywood with The Gummy Bears Movie.
- Simple Town said in a joint statement that the film is "a comedy, it's a slasher, it's a movie about our real and dire friendship," and asked for audiences to see it "big and loud in a packed movie theater."
- Samuel Lanier wrote the script he also stars in, with Ian Faria directing and Ivy Wolk and Jefferson White in the cast; the film world-premiered over the summer at Fantasia Film Festival.
- Simple Town formed in 2016 and built a niche with elf-aware takes on viral internet content, cinematic shorts and live tours in the U.S. and UK, with the feature built on the group's style and chemistry from 10 years of working together.
- Jasper Basch negotiated the acquisition for Greenwich, with CAA Media Finance representing the filmmakers; Simple Town is represented by WME and by Allen McRae at Authentic Talent and Literary Management.
- Sarah Wilson produced Big Break with Ani Schroeter, Graham Mason, Richie Doyle and Conor Hannon, joining the credits of If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, The History of Concrete and Good One.
Why it matters: Simple Town has built a following since 2016 through viral videos and live tours; a Greenwich acquisition and a nationwide theatrical release next year put their first feature into a distribution channel they have not used before. Their own statement asks for the opposite of a niche launch — "big and loud in a packed movie theater."
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