Momentum nabs Emilia Clarke thriller “Voice From the Stone”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Momentum Pictures has acquired North American rights to the Emilia Clarke supernatural thriller “Voice From the Stone” with a release in the theaters and on demand in the first quarter, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Game of Thrones” star Clarke and Marton Csokas came on board the project in 2014 when sales-finance company 13 Films signed on to co-finance and handle international sales. Dean Zanuck and Stefano Gallini-Durante are producing and Eric D. Howell directed from Andrew Shaw’s script, based on Silvio Raffo’s Italian-language novel “La Voce Della Pietra.”

Caterina Murino, Remo Girone, Lisa Gastoni and Edward Dring also star. Principal photography took place Italy. Pic is Howell’s feature film directorial debut. The film was financed by Bruce Johnson, Zanuck Independent, and Producer Capital Fund.

Clarke plays a solemn nurse drawn to aid a young boy named Jakob who has fallen silent since the untimely death of his mother nearly a year ago. The boy lives with his father (Csokas) in a massive stone manor in Tuscany and seems to be under the spell of a malevolent force trapped within the stone walls.

Zanuck and Gallini-Durante have been developing “Voice From the Stone” since 2009, when Hideo Nakata (“The Ring”) was attached to direct. Maggie Gyllenhaal came on board to star during Cannes in 2011.

Momentum Pictures’ senior VP of content Ian Goggins made the announcement at AFM on Thursday where 13 Films is handling foreign sales.

“We’re excited to bring this amazing film to the big screen and to work with the talented Emilia Clarke on this project,” said Goggins. “Emilia has proven to be a versatile actor from her dominant role in ‘The Game of Thrones’ to her quirky, yet lovable character in ‘Me Before You.’ We’re confident that her legion of fans will follow her in her new role in ‘Voice in the Stone.'”

The deal was negotiated on behalf of Momentum Pictures by Sejin Croninger with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.