FilmRise has picked up the North American rights to New Zealand drama “The Justice of Bunny King,” which made its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Deadline broke the news.
From scribe Sophie Henderson, and directed by Gaysorn Thavat, the film stars Essie Davis (“Babyteeth,” “The Babadook”) as “a mother who tries to battle her way back from the bottom to regain custody of her children.” Thomasin McKenzie (“Leave No Trace,” “Last Night in Soho”) co-stars.
Produced by Emma Slade, the pic marks Thavat’s directorial debut, and received a Special Jury Mention for the Nora Ephron Award for Best Female Filmmaker upon its premiere at Tribeca. The film was a New Zealand Film Commission’s 125 Women Filmmakers Fund awardee.
Of the acquisition, Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise commented: “This is another set of excellent performances that will be added to our ever-growing library of diverse and independent films that tell often overlooked stories. Through a rawness of someone who has hit rock bottom, both Essie Davis and Thomasin McKenzie convey through the very real struggles that many families face on a daily basis.”
Jonathan Walik, International Sales Executive for Protagonist who negotiated the deal with FilmRise’s Katie Carroll, added of the film: “Essie Davis gives yet another tour de force performance in what has become a career full of them in this critically acclaimed debut.”
In an interview timed to the film’s Tribeca premiere, Thavat explained to us what drew her to the project: “I absolutely love [Davis’] character — her joy, wit, and determination, and the fact that she gets it wrong, is deeply conflicted, and yet she makes me smile. Also the desire to frame the resilience and strength of everyday women as kind of superheroes — to rewrite the narrative of motherhood. We have so many narratives about male heroism, yet the strength of women and mothers is rarely celebrated. Sometimes just being a woman, a mother, and surviving in these punitive systems is heroic.”
Thavat began her career working in the camera department, before switching to directing commercials. She has also directed episodic television, including “Fresh Eggs” and “The Gulf,” and short film “Brave Donkey.”
Known to fans for her leading role in “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” Davis has also starred in “Game of Thrones,” as well as feature films “The Babadook,” — for which she was nominated for and won numerous best actress awards — “Babyteeth,” “True History of the Kelly Gang,” and “Nitram,” and revisited her role as Phryne Fisher in movie sequel “Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.” She is also set to appear in upcoming live-action horror anthology series “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.”
McKenzie earned accolades including Indie Spirit Award and Gotham Award nominations for her turn in Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” which she followed up with performances in “Jojo Rabbit,” Liz Garbus’ narrative feature debut “Lost Girls,” and “Last Night in Soho.” Her other upcoming credits include a BBC adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s 2015 bestseller “Life After Life,” and biopic “Perfect,” based on gymnast Kerry Strug’s memoir and to be directed by Olivia Wilde.
Slade is the producer of features including “Into the Rainbow,” “Come to Daddy,” and Melanie Lynskey and Lucy Lawless starrer “The Changeover.”
Henderson’s previous writing credits include “Baby Done,” and “Fantail.”
