By Zac Ntim, Deadline
Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions has partnered with Guido Rud’s FilmSharks out of Argentina to launch the thriller 55 from Indian filmmaker Shyam Madiraju.
FilmSharks will handle international sales on the pic and introduce it to buyers at this week’s Cannes Market.
The Indian-American co-production stars Emraan Hashmi (Tiger 3, Baadshaho, Raaz 3, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai), and is executive produced by Paul Feig (Spy, Ghostbusters). Here’s the logline: The film tells the story of an organized pick-pocketing gang, which names its members after numbers. 55, an orphan teenage pickpocket working in the streets of Mumbai, embarks on a life-alerting journey when he is confronted by the daughter of one of his victims.
Madiraju has directed two features, 2014’s Eden, starring Nate Parker. He also exec-produced Cake, starring Jennifer Aniston.
“55 is such a masterful film that delivers in so many ways,” Feig told us of the pic. “It’s an emotional crowd-pleaser, a sometimes scary, sometimes funny, and always engaging look at the unseen inhabitants of Mumbai. Shyam Madiraju has taken an incredibly talented cast of young newcomers and gotten the performances of a lifetime out of them. I couldn’t love this movie more.”
Guido Rud, CEO of FilmSharks added: “High-octane Indian cinema has proven to be red-hot worldwide with recent successful cases such as Monkey Man and RRR. We feel 55 is above that level it’s Slumdog Millionaire meets Nine Queens.”
Scott Free’s upcoming films include the sequel to Gladiator, Alien: Romulus, and A Sacrifice, written and directed by Jordan Scott, and Trap House, starring Dave Bautista and directed by Michael Dowse.
The Cannes Market runs May 14 – 22.
