FilmRise today announced that it has acquired in a deal with TrustNordisk the North American distribution rights in all media for "Magnus," the feature documentary exploring the life and mind of the "Mozart of Chess," Magnus Carlsen. The film will receive a theatrical release in late fall 2016; Carlsen, at only age 25, will be defending his title at the World Chess Championships in New York City in November.
Director Benjamin Ree takes audiences inside the life of the chess grandmaster, who from a young age had aspirations of
BECOMING a champion chess player. While many players seek out an intensely rigid environment to hone their skills, Magnus's brilliance shines brightest when surrounded by his loving and supportive family. Through an extensive amount of archival footage and home movies, Ree reveals this young man's unusual and rapid trajectory to the pinnacle of the chess world. The film allows the audience to not only peek inside this isolated community, but also witness the maturation of a modern genius.
The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.
"We are beyond thrilled to announce our acquisition of 'Magnus,'" said FilmRise CEO Danny Fisher. "Benjamin Ree has given us a fascinating look at one of the most remarkable chess players in history, and we cannot wait for audiences to discover Magnus's story when we release the film in theaters this fall."
The deal was negotiated between Fisher and FilmRise's VP of Acquisitions Max Einhorn with Susan Wendt, TrustNordisk's Head of Sales.
"We are very excited to work with FilmRise on "Magnus," said Wendt. "They have done a really great job with "Janis: Little Girl Blue," and with the enthusiasm they have shown for 'Magnus' we are convinced that they will do a great job here as well."
ABOUT FILMRISE FilmRise is a film and TV distribution company founded by veteran producer/financiers Danny Fisher, Jack Fisher and Alan Klingenstein. With over 6,000 titles in a wide range of genres, the company's film acquisitions and releases include HBO's multiple Emmy®-winning "Going Clear" and "Janis: Little Girl Blue," directed by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Amy J. Berg and produced by Oscar®-winner Alex Gibney. Television titles include hit series such as Showtime's Emmy®-winning "Years of Living Dangerously," and the longest running true crime show on television "Forensic Files." Titles are in release digitally on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, VUDU, Xbox, Sony PlayStation,
Crackle and other platforms, and on DVD and BluRay on Amazon and over 200 online retailers, including Walmart and Barnes & Noble. FilmRise's recent acquisitions are two-time Academy Award®-nominee Julie Delpy's "Lolo"; the Star Wars documentary "Elstree 1976"; the acclaimed true crime documentary "The Witness"; "Five Nights in Maine," starring Oscar®-winner Dianne Wiest, David Oyelowo, and Oscar®-nominee Rosie Perez; the buzzed-about horror-comedy "The Greasy Strangler"; the SXSW documentary "Silicon Cowboys"; the award-winning doc "Harry & Snowman"; the drone warfare documentary "National Bird"; and the critically-acclaimed, controversial
Sundance drama, "White Girl." For more information go to: www.FilmRise.com
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