Shia LaBeouf’s ‘Peanut Butter Falcon’ Bought by Roadside for U.S.
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Shia LaBeouf’s “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” winner of the Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival, has found a home.
Roadside Attractions has bought U.S. distribution rights to the adventure film, written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz.
LaBeouf portrays a small-time outlaw and stars alongside Zack Gottsagen, a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from a nursing home to follow his dream of attending the professional wrestling school of his idol, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church).
LaBeouf becomes an unlikely coach and ally as the two characters wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whiskey, find God, and catch fish. They also convince a nursing home employee charged with Gottsagen’s return (Dakota Johnson), to join them on their journey. “” also stars Bruce Dern, John Hawkes, Jon Bernthal, and Yelawolf.
Roadside has set a release date of Aug. 9. Endeavor Content is handling international sales.
Schwartz and Nilson wrote the film specifically for Gottsagen after they met him at a camp for disabled actors. They were inspired by his fierce determination to become a leading man in Hollywood.
Tim Zajaros and Christopher Lemole of Armory Films financed and serve as producers on the film alongside Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa of Bona Fide Productions, as well as Lije Sarki and David Thies. Executive producers are Manu Gargi, Armory Films’ Aaron Scotti, Michelle Sie Whitten (co-founder and executive director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in Denver), Timothy P. Shriver (Chairman of the Special Olympics) and Anthony K. Shriver (Best Buddies International Founder).
“The trio of Zack, Shia and Dakota is unlike any we’ve seen before and their adventure is awesome, heartwarming and inspiring,” said Roadside co-presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff. “We’re thrilled to bring the movie to theaters and to work with such great new filmmakers as Michael and Tyler.”
The deal was negotiated between Cohen and Angel An of Roadside Attractions, and Endeavor Content and CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.
