Gaumont’s Thriller ‘Night Call’ Achieves Nearly Worldwide Sales

“Night Call,” a French thriller directed by Michiel Blanchart and set against the backdrop of Black Lives Matter protests in Belgium, has been sold nearly worldwide by Gaumont and makes its premiere today in France.

The film, which was previously acquired by Magnet Releasing for North American distribution, centers around a young locksmith who finds himself in a perilous situation after he responds to an emergency call, placing him in the crosshairs of a ruthless mob boss.

This film marks Blanchart’s feature debut. His live-action short “You’re Dead Hélène” was shortlisted for the 94th Oscars and is currently being adapted into an English-language feature, produced by Sam Raimi and TriStar Pictures.

“Night Call” has been picked up by numerous distributors across various territories including the U.K. (Vertigo), Spain (A Contracorriente), Italy (102 Distribution), Scandinavia (Nonstop), South Korea (Mediasoft), Latin America (California Filmes), Portugal (Cinemundo), Germany, Austria, German-speaking Luxembourg and Switzerland, Poland (Galapagos), India (Pictureworks), and New Caledonia (Trident Import Export).

The movie was showcased on the opening night of the Nouvelles Vagues Festival in June in Biarritz, where it won the Audience Award.

Blanchart co-wrote the script with Gilles Marchand (“The Night of the 12”). The plot follows Mady (Jonathan Feltre), a student by day and locksmith by night. Mady receives an emergency call from Claire to open a lock, but the door she wants opened isn’t hers, and the bag of cash she escapes with doesn’t belong to her either. The money belongs to Yannick (Romain Duris), a menacing crime boss who blames Mady and will stop at nothing to retrieve his stolen goods. In a city rocked by protests, Mady has just one night to prove his innocence and save himself.

Gaumont’s Alexis Cassanet has described the film as a gripping thriller akin to Fred Cavayé’s “Point Blank.”

“Night Call” was produced by Boucan, known for films like “Viva Riva” and “A Wedding,” and Quad, the company behind “The Intouchables” and “The Death of Stalin.” Producers include Michael Goldberg, Boris Van Gils, Margaux Marciano, and Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, with Gaumont also serving as a co-producer on the film.

Source: Gaumont