A24 has acquired the US rights to Brady Corbet‘s The Brutalist for $10 million following its premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, ahead of its screening for buyers at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.
The Brutalist received a 12-minute standing ovation at Venice, earning Corbet the Silver Lion award for Best Director. The 215-minute film was pursued by multiple parties following its success in Venice. However, the A24 deal—brokered by CAA Media Finance—was just under $10 million.
The historical drama is directed by Corbet, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mona Fastvold. The film stars Adrien Brody as László Toth, Felicity Jones as Erzsébet Tóth, Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren, Joe Alwyn as Harry Lee Van Buren, Stacy Martin as Maggie Van Buren, Alessandro Nivola as Attila, Isaach De Bankolé as Gordon, Raffey Cassidy as Zsófia, Emma Laird as Audrey, along with Jonathan Hyde, Peter Polycarpou, and Jaymes Butler in supporting roles.
What is the Plot of The Brutalist?
László Toth (Brody) arrives in America with barely anything to his name, eagerly hoping to soon be joined by his wife Erzsébet (Jones). Settling in Philadelphia, he has a not-so-gracious run-in with Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce), a wealthy businessman, after he becomes an unwitting client for a home renovation scheme. This serendipitous encounter leads to a more complex undertaking, as Van Buren and his son (Joe Alwyn) enlist László’s brilliance for a monumental new project. It’s a dream that he never thought he could relive, but it comes with a dark cost, as László sacrifices more and more of himself to complete his exacting vision.
The Brutalist was shot in VistaVision and presented in 70 mm at both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. Focus Features holds the international territory rights outside of North America, and the film is scheduled to screen at the New York Film Festival.
Produced by Trevor Matthews and Nick Gordon for Brookstreet U.K. alongside Brian Young and Kaplan Morrison’s Andrew Morrison. Also producing are Andrew Lauren for Andrew Lauren Productions and D.J. Gugenheim. Brookstreet U.K. is financing with Lip Sync Productions, Richmond Pictures, Meyohas Studio, Carte Blanche, Pierce Capital Entertainment, and senior lender Cofiloisirs.
A24 has not yet revealed the release date for the film.
