The Orchard Acquires North American Rights To Karen Gillian’s Directorial Debut “The Party’s Just Beginning”
Jul 09, 2018
The coming-of-age story premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival in April
Los Angeles, CA, July 9, 2018 – The Orchard announced today that the company has secured North American rights to Karen Gillan’s directorial debut The Party’s Just Beginning. Gillan also wrote and stars in the film, which was produced by Gillan’s producing partner Mali Elfman, as well as R. Andru Davies and Claire Mundell. The cast also includes Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hobbit), Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game), Paul Higgins (Utopia), Siobhan Redmond (Holby City), Jamie Quinn (Bluestone 42), and Rachel Jackson (Two Doors Down). The Party’s Just Beginning is slated for a theatrical release this fall.
Liusaidh (Karen Gillan) is a sharp-witted, foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking twenty-something who is still reeling from a recent loss. Living with her parents in the remote Scottish Highlands, she spends most nights boozing at the local pub and embarks on what she assumes—perhaps rightly—will be yet another short-term fling when she hooks up with an out-of-towner (Lee Pace) who is going through a midlife crisis. At the same time, a wrong number leads Liusaidh to an anonymous connection with an old man grappling with his own end-of-life questions and regrets. These three characters, each at their own crossroads, search for answers—together and independently—in the cold northern landscape, under fleeting glimpses of the Northern Lights.
“Totally and completely thrilled to team up with The Orchard on my directorial debut,” said Karen Gillan. “I greatly admire the films that The Orchard put out into the world and I’m honored to haveThe Party’s Just Beginning be one of them”. “Karen Gillan’s The Party’s Just Beginning establishes her as a unique talent and fresh new voice that absolutely blew us away,” said Paul Davidson, EVP, Film and TV at The Orchard. “It’s a directorial debut anchored by a stellar performance and a compelling screenplay that makes her a true triple threat. We are excited to partner with her on her first feature.
The deal was negotiated between The Orchard’s Danielle DiGiacomo and UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers.
The Orchard is also behind the recent release of Bart Layton’s American Animals, one of the year’s strongest independent film debuts, acquired in partnership with MoviePass Ventures. Upcoming releases include the Colombian crime drama Birds Of Passage, directed by Cristina Gallegos and Ciro Guerra; Jeremiah Zagar’s We The Animals, which won the NEXT Innovator Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; and Eva Vives’ All About Nina.
About The Orchard
The Orchard is a leading independent film, TV and music distribution company operating in over 30 markets worldwide. Founded as a music distributor in 1997, The Orchard is a global innovator in the film and television distribution space, known for cutting-edge technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. Recent film releases include American Animals, Flower, Outside In, Kings, William Friedkin’s The Devil and Father Amorth, BPM (Beats Per Minute), Thelma, Super Dark Times, Sundance Jury Prize winner Dina, The Work, 11/8/16, Trophy and The Hero. Upcoming releases include We The Animals, Under the Eiffel Tower, Birds of Passage and All About Nina. The company’s film division has enjoyed recent successes as the Academy Award®-nominated documentaries Cartel Land and Life, Animated; Taika Waititi’s The Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s The Music of Strangers; Alex Lehmann’s Blue Jay; Antonio Campos’ Christine; Pablo Larrain’s critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-nominated Neruda; Oren Moverman’s The Dinner; and Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent.