Michael Bayer’s pandemic thriller ‘Sungbird’ sells Leonin – variety

The Michael Bay-produced epidemic thriller “Sungbird” has achieved its first international sales outside the virtual ear market.

European powerhouse Leonine has handed over rights to German-speaking Europe, Diversity Can reveal. It is believed that there is a strong interest in the continent, and many distributors in the United States are also promoting the image, which was purchased by shoppers last week.

The principal cast includes Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormer. ICM Partners and Endeavor Content are handling global sales.

Produced by Adam Goodman and Andrew Sugarman’s Invisible Narratives in partnership with Bay and Catchlight Studios, “Sungbird” is set for the next two years, with the epidemic continuing to wreak havoc and destruction around the world. The film – which is compared as a hybrid between “Paranormal Activity” and “Cloverfield” – focuses on an essential worker resistant to the virus, traveling seamlessly across the city as a delivery driver who is divided into classes. Line. Forced to stay away from his girlfriend in the lockdown, he must overcome a strong family well known by Moore’s character to reunite with his partner.

The film marks the second-largest ear-selling project, led by KR-backed chief Leonin, formed in 2019 through the merger of TeleMachen Group, Universe Film, I & U TV, and Widman & Berg Film. The studio also hit the market at the beginning of STX International’s thriller “Violence of Action” starring Chris Pine.

Looking at the use of fancy filming techniques and rigorous social distance practice, it seems that “Into the Dark” will first shoot in Los Angeles, directed by Helmer Adam Mason. Filmmakers are believed to provide remote training to actors.

The film now slots as an uninterrupted run of epidemic-themed projects. On Saturday, Charles Randolph, author of “Bombsell” and “The Big Short,” was announced to direct a film for SK Global in the early stages of the CVD-19 epidemic in China. Meanwhile, last week, it was revealed that Michael Winterbottom had signed on to write and direct a series of disturbing reactions to U.S. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pandemic.

Given its ambitious production plans, “Sungbird” may be out of the gate at first. The project includes invisible narratives and bays from former Paramount chief Goodman and former Disney executive Sugarman.

Director Mason co-wrote the script with Simon Boyce (“Misconduct”). Bay is co-producing with Goodman and Eben Davidson of Invisible Narratives, a project that has been partnered with by Callett Studios and founder Janet Walterno, former head of Bloomhouse, and Jason Clark, Seth McFarlane’s production company Fuzzy Dore, Osako.

Mason 3 is re-ranked by Arts and ICM Partners, while Bay is represented by WME.

Photographer Jack Joffrett (“The Purge”), a longtime Bay collaborator who has worked throughout the “Transformers” franchise, with production designer Jennifer Spence (“Paranormal Activity” and “Annabelle” franchise) casting. .