Writer-director Michael J. Gallagher’s biographical film “Heaven’s Gate.” LeaderThe film, starring Vera Farmiga, Tim Blake Nelson and Jim Parsons, has sold out in the UK and Canada ahead of its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next month.
As part of distribution deals negotiated by Brian O’Shea at Voltage/The Exchange, the thriller about the notorious messiahs of the UFO religious cult whose followers in 1997 committed the largest mass suicide on American soil, will be released by Altitude Films in Britain and Sphere Films in the Canadian market.
“Michael Gallagher has created a powerful, thought-provoking film anchored by exceptional performances. We look forward to sharing this compelling true story with Canadian audiences,” Victor Rigo of Sphere Films said in a statement.
Farmiga plays cult leader Bonnie Nettles, also known as “Ti,” while Nelson plays the group’s famed leader, Marshall Applewhite, also known as “Do.” Leader It follows Nettles and Applewhite as they develop the religion, build a religious following, and face unexpected conflict when the spaceship they believed would transport their resurrected selves fails.
Tribeca will premiere the film on June 5, while its US rights remain up for grabs. Leader It also stars Parsons, Grace Caroline Carey, and Simone Rex as Heaven’s Gate minions.
Gallagher is known for writing and directing TV series and films such as 2018’s The Movie Funny story and Dilution: The New World Order. Leader Produced by Cinemand Films, Balcony 9 Productions, Gold Rush Entertainment, Magnetic Labs, LB Entertainment, Red Barn Films, Copper Island, Silent Echo Productions, Drama Free Films and Entertainment 360.
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