Grindstone Entertainment Group, a Lionsgate company, together with CTB Film Company and Luminescence, announced at KEY BUYERS EVENT: digital online market the acquisition of North American rights to the Russian box office hit Upon the Magic Roads. The film was released in Russia on 18th February 2021 and grossed an outstanding $15.9M in the local theaters. Worldwide rights are handled by the sales outfit Luminescence. The film is being screened for the international buyers at this week’s digital Key Buyers Event (8-10 June ‘21) organized by Roskino and Virtual Pre-Cannes Screenings (21-25 June’21).
Directed by Oleg Pogodin and produced by Academy Award Nominated producer Sergey Selyanov (CTB Film Company), Aleksandr Gorokhov (CGF), and Anton Zlatopolskiy (Russia 1), Upon the Magic Roads tells the story of John, the kind-hearted romantic fool, who is sent on a series of incredible adventures accompanied by the magic foal to find a Cloud Princess. This feature film is packed with special effects that were produced by one of the best Russian CGI houses – CGF, a company responsible for the special effects in the Hollywood hits as Ben Hur and Wanted. Grindstone will release the film in 2022.
“We are pleased to expand our collaboration with Barry, Stan, Ryan, and the entire Grindstone team,” Juraj Barabas, Managing Director of Luminescence “Upon the Magic Roads is very unique, funny, heartwarming, and most of all, a very big film in terms of production value.”
“We are very pleased with this deal that will give American audience the opportunity to watch our movie. The film has already earned almost $16M at the box-office at home and we hope it will be successful in the USA. Upon the Magic Roads is produced as a mixture of live action and top-notch visual effects and the fantasy worlds and creatures inhabiting them are very captivating. This story is universal and interesting for everyone, a fairy tale about two buddies that will have to live through exciting adventures, outsmart an evil tyrant and find true love and friendship,” Sergey Selyanov, producer and CEO of CTB Film Company commented.
GRINDSTONE’s Stan Wertlieb added “We are so grateful for our ongoing relationship with Juraj and LUMINESCENCE. UPON THE MAGIC ROADS is a rare cinematic gem. Truly a masterful blending of live action and beautiful animation, that children and their families will be entertained and mystified by.”
In addition to North America, the deals have also closed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (Capelight), France and French-speaking Belgium (Koba), Portugal (Cinemundo), Poland (Puls TV), Czech Republic and Slovakia (MediaSquad), Turkey (aTV), Middle East (Front Row), South Africa (Filmfinity), South East Asia PTV (Disney), Mongolia (FilmBridge), Vietnam (CJ CGV), South Korea (World Cinema), Latin America PTV/SVOD (Discovery).
The deal was negotiated between Grindstone Entertainment Group’s Partner Stan Wertlieb and Luminescence Managing Director Juraj Barabas. Luminescence’s sales slate includes animated branded adventures Pinocchio: A True Story and Nutcracker and the Magic Flute, sequel Big Trip 2: Special Delivery, My Sweet Monster, and live-action war thriller Infiltration.