Cannes: Bleecker Street Buys U.S. Rights to ‘Dream Horse’ With Toni Collette, Damian Lewis

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Bleecker Street has acquired “Dream Horse,” a drama starring Toni Collette and Damian Lewis, Variety has confirmed.

The deal is for U.S. rights and the film tells the true story of Jan Vokes, a Welsh cleaner and bartender, who decides to breed and rear a race horse. She persuades her neighbors and friends to contribute financially to the scheme. The group’s unlikely investment plan pays off as the horse rises through the ranks and puts them in a race for the national championship.

Bleecker’s films include the Oscar-nominated “Trumbo” and “Captain Fantastic,” as well as Steven Soderbergh’s “Lucky Logan.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Other cast members include Owen Teale (“Game of Thrones”), Joanna Page (“Gavin & Stacey”), Nicholas Farrell (“The Iron Lady”), Sian Philips (“I, Claudius”) and Karl Johnson (“Peterloo”).

Euros Lyn (“Happy Valley”) will direct from a screenplay written by Neil McKay (“Appropriate Adult”). Katherine Butler will produce with Tracy O’Riordan. The true story behind the film was previously told in the documentary “Dark Horse.”

The deal was negotiated by Kent Sanderson, president of acquisitions and ancillary distribution, Camille Bertrand, director of acquisitions and Avy Eschenasy on behalf of Bleecker Street, Ryan Heller, SVP, film and acquisitions from Topic Studios with Film4 and Raw.

Deadline first reported the sale.