EXCLUSIVE: We can tell you that Frankie Shaw‘s feature directorial debut, the dark comedy 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, starring Liam Neeson, has nabbed a domestic distribution deal with Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion label, as well as Miramax boarding as financier and producer. In addition, Deadline can show you first these photos from the set.
The movie, which reps a re-team between Shaw and Neeson after the latter’s action title, Absolution, began production earlier this week in Ireland.
Kinofilms Inc, and Picturestart are also financing. FilmNation is handling international sales. Deadline first told you about the package coming together out of TIFF when FilmNation launched sales.
Miramax Picturestart
Based on the Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss graphic novel, and steeped in ’90s nostalgia, 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank centers around Paige who has just lost her mother. Her grandfather steps into to become a more responsible guardian. When a group of criminals show up at their door demanding that Paige’s grandpa join them for one last job, she’s faced with a decision: let her newly reformed grandpa dip back into his criminal ways, or enlist her three best friends to do the job first. Matt Robinson penned the screenplay with revisions by Shaw.
Talia Ryder, Whitney Peak, Jack Dylan Grazer, Spike Fearn, Jim Sturgess, George Basil and Sam Strike also star. Producers are Picturestart, Point Grey, Black Mask Studios and Uncle Pete Productions. Shaw developed 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank with Point Greyand and Picturestart. EPs are Miramax. Wild Atlantic, Aperture and Round Mound Media.
Shaw also has the independent feature Palette in the works, in which she’ll star and produce. Shaw was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, Best Actress and Best Comedy Series, for her Showtime series, SMILF. She was the creator, director, showrunner and star of the show. The series was based off her short film of the same title, which won the Short Film Jury Award for US Fiction at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Shaw starred in Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move for Warner Bros. She also appeared in Sam Esmail’s award-winning drama series, Mr Robot, and the anthology series, Homecoming, for Amazon Prime. Shaw is repped by WME and Entertainment 360.
Neeson was Oscar nominated in the Best Actor category for 1993’s Schindler’s List. His feature credits include Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – Episode I, Batman Begins, Gangs of New York, Kinsey, Kingdom of Heaven, the Taken franchise, Clash of the Titans, Silence among several other titles. The actor is repped by CAA and Artist Rights Group.