Shout! Studios and Sola Media GmbH Enter Film Distribution Deal for Highly-Anticipated Animated Feature SWIFT from LUXX Film GmbH

Kate Winslet and Willem Dafoe Lead the Voice Cast

Shout! Studios, the multi-platform filmed entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory, and Sola Media GmbH have entered into an exclusive movie deal to distribute new animated family feature SWIFT (a.k.a. Manou The Swift ) in the United States. Directed by Andrea Block and Christian Haas of LUXX Film, Academy Award®-winner Kate Winslet (The Reader, Titanic) and multi-award-winning actor Willem Dafoe (Finding Nemo, Spider-Man) lead an impressive voice cast that includes Josh Keaton (Voltron: Legendary Defender, Ben 10), David Shaughnessy (Big Hero 6, Star Wars Rebels), Arif Kinchen (Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Happy Feet), Julie Nathanson (Searching, Avengers Assemble series), and Rob Paulsen (Pinky and the Brain, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). A production of LUXX Film, SWIFT is produced by Haas, Block and LUXX Studios, the renowned VFX studio behind Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day: Resurgence. The announcement was made today by Shout’s Senior Vice President of Family Entertainment, Melissa Boag, Sola Media’s managing director, Solveig Langeland, and Jordan Fields, Shout’s Vice President of Acquisitions.

Shout! Studios has secured all U.S. distribution rights to SWIFT, including theatrical, digital, video-on-demand, broadcast, and home entertainment for cross-platform releases. Shout! Studios plans a strategic launch of this movie across all major entertainment platforms and in all packaged media (Blu-ray/DVD), beginning with a theatrical day-and-date launch in 2020.

“We’re excited about this new opportunity with Sola Media and LUXX Film. This visually vibrant film delivers a fun-filled cinematic adventure the whole family will enjoy. We look forward to bringing SWIFT to movie audiences,” stated Melissa Boag, Shout’s Senior Vice President of Family Entertainment.

“SWIFT’s gorgeously animated and comical story of a bird and his adopted community weaves together themes of family, identity, courage, and adventure. It’s a charming piece of work that families will flock to,” stated Jordan Fields, Vice President of Acquisitions at Shout! Studios.

“We are very happy to continue our successful collaboration with Shout! Studios on this very special film. SWIFT is a visual feast with some of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen in an independent film. We are now extremely excited about the release in the USA,” said Solveig Langeland Managing Director of Sola Media.

The film deal was negotiated by Jordan Fields, and Shout’s Vice President of Business Affairs, Vanessa Keiko Flanders for Shout! Factory, and Solveig Langeland of Sola Media for filmmakers and LUXX Film.

Movie synopsis

The little swift Manou grows up believing he’s a seagull. But when he tries to learn how to fly, he finds out that he never will be. Shocked, he runs away from home, meets birds of his own species and finds out who he really is. One day both seagulls and swifts face a dangerous threat, Manou has an opportunity to be the hero of the day.

A LUXX Film Production

Directed by Christian Haas and Andrea Block

Written by Axel Melzener, Andrea Block and Phil Parker

Executive Produced by Andrea Block, Christian Haas

Music by Frank Schreiber, Steffen Wick, and Simon Detel

Edited by Dirk Stoppe, Dennis Lutz