Roger Gual's Spanish comedy also sells to Vendetta Film for Australia/New Zealand.
COLOGNE, Germany - Magnolia Pictures has snatched up Tasting Menu, a culinary ensemble comedy from Spanish director Roger Gual (Smoking Room), for U.S. release from sales group TrustNordisk. The title was also picked up by Vendetta Films for Australia/New Zealand.
Tasting Menu is the latest in a long line of Trust titles that will go through Magnolia stateside, with such upcoming releases as Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt and Jennifer Lawrence/Bradley Cooper starrer Serena from Susanne Bier among recent acquisitions. In Berlin, Magnolia also secured domestic rights to Lars von Trier's hotly anticipated two-part sex epic Nymphomaniac.
The film, which Trust bowed for international buyers at Berlin's European Film Market in February, focuses on a couple, Marc and Rachel, who, more than a year in advance, book a table at the "best restaurant in the world." When their reservation finally comes up, the two have long separated but they come together again for the final night out, which, coincidentally, will also be the last night before the restaurant closes forever.
"You come out of the film with one of two sensations," Spanish producer David Matamoros told The Hollywood Reporter Monday. "Either you want to eat or to make love."
Spanish stars Jan Cornet and Claudia Bassols head an ensemble cast that also includes Irish actors Stephen Rea and Fionnula Flanagan and Japan's Toto Igawa. Trust has already sold Tasting Menu to multiple international territories including Brazil (Art Films), Russia (Voxell Copyright Limited), Hungary (Cirko Film), Korea (Atnine Film) and Taiwan (Swallow Wings Films).
Tasting Menu was warmly received by critics at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival last week and will open in Spain June 14.
Matamoros produced Tasting Menu for Zentropa International Spain and Subotica Limited with Zentropa's Peter Garde and Peter Aalbæk Jensen as executive producers.