eOne

eOne has inked a deal with U.S. streamer Hulu to pick up the documentary Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie. Under the agreement, eOne will handle distribution of the doc outside the U.S. The film, which launched on Hulu on April 27 and screened at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, comes from writer/director Andrea Nevins and producer Cristan Crocker. Tiny Shoulders documents Mattel’s reinvention of the beloved fashion doll. Produced by Nevins and Crocker’s Los Angeles-based Rare Birds Films, the doc features interviews with Mattel insiders, as well as Gloria Steinem, Roxane Gay and features newly discovered footage. The deal was brokered by eOne’s SVP, acquisitions, international distribution, Noel Hedges.

Bron

Sony Pictures has nabbed the worldwide rights to Bron Studio’s copro with filmmaker Jason Reitman The Front Runner. The project follows the rise and fall of politician Gary Hart (played by Hugh Jackman), who was considered the frontrunner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until his campaign is sidelined by a story about an extramarital relationship. The feature was produced by Reitman and Helen Estabrook through their California-based Right of Way Films banner with Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert also serving as a producer. The screenplay was written by political journalist Matt Bai, former Hillary Clinton press secretary Jay Carson and Reitman. The project is based on Bai’s 2014 book All the Truth is Out. The deal was negotiated by Jon Freedberg and Michael Helfand on behalf of Sony, while Bron’s Anjay Nagpal and Matthew Erramouspe of O’Melveny & Myers LLP negotiated on behalf of the Canadian prodco. Endeavor Content and Bloom handled the worldwide sale.

In addition, Los Angeles-headquartered Gunpowder & Sky has acquired the worldwide rights to Bron’s U.S./Canada coventure, Prospect. The U.S.-based distributor will release the feature from filmmakers Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell in U.S. theatres later this year under its sci-fi label, Dust, in partnership with blockchain entertainment company SingularDTV. After its theatrical release, the feature will have its digital premiere on SingularDTV’s blockchain enabled VOD platform. Prospect is produced by California-based Depth of Field and Ground Control, alongside Bron’s The Realm, its genre-focused, director-driven film label. Producers include Depth of Field’s Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz and Dan Balgoyen, Ground Control’s Scott Glassgold, The Realm’s Garrick Dion, Bron’s Matthias Mellinghaus and Brice Budke. Exec producers are Tracey Bing, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring and Steven Thibault, as well as Bron board of director member Jason Cloth. Endeavor Content negotiated the sale on behalf of the filmmakers.

Super Channel

Super Channel has picked up the Canadian broadcast rights to season three of Hallmark original series, Chesapeake Shores. The 10-episode third season, currently in production on Vancouver Island, is based on Sherryl Woods novels of the same name. The series is set to premiere on June 4 on Super Channel’s recently revamped Super Channel Heart & Home and will also be available to subscribers on Super Channel On Demand. The series is produced by Matt Drake and exec produced by Woods and Dan Paulson.

Sony Pictures Television

Sony Pictures Television has acquired the rights to Katarina E. Tonks’ Death is My BFF from Toronto’s user-generated story platform Wattpad. Paul Shapiro, who brought the project to Sony, will exec produce the story under his All In Media banner with Wattpad’s Aron Levitz and Eric Lehrman. Tonks’ Death is My BFF follows Faith William’s as she tries to hold off signing away her soul to a sarcastic angel of death. The series of stories has more than 92 million reads on Wattpad. Earlier this week, Hulu picked up its first Wattpad story, Light as a Feather. Based on Zoe Aarsen’s supernatural thriller of the same name, the series will be a joint venture between Wattpad Studios, California-based AwesomenessTV and U.S. actor Kelsey Grammer’s prodco Grammnet. Light as a Feather is set to begin production next month in L.A.