After releasing Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie stateside, Neon has nabbed the domestic rights to Matt Johnson’s next film, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Johnson will direct the project, currently known as the Untitled Matt Johnson Film, with Finn Wolfhard set to star.
The story is inspired by true events that saw a Vice Canada editor recruit drug mules for an international cocaine smuggling operation, including out of the media giant’s offices. Wolfhard will play the Canadian investigative journalist who helped break the story.
Neon will release the film in the US and will handle international sales out of this year’s Cannes film market.
Department M is exec producing the film. Matthew Miller and Matt Greyson will be produce for Zapruder Films. Telefilm Canada is helping to finance the feature.
Johnson, repped by WME, directed the critically acclaimed movie BlackBerry and was last in theaters with Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, which is based on his Canadian television series of the same name. His other credits include indie features The Dirties and Operation Avalanche, the latter of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Up next, he directs the Anthony Bourdain movie Tony, starring Dominic Sessa, that is being released by A24 this summer. Johnson is also developing a Magic: The Gathering feature film for Legendary.
Wolfhard, who worked with Neon on his directorial debut Hell of a Summer, recently wrapped up his run on Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things. He is repped by CAA, Venture Entertainment Partners and Jackoway Austen.
For its part, Neon will premiere multiple films out of the Cannes Film Festival, including competition titles Paper Tiger, James Gray’s latest feature and Fjord, the Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve family drama.
