"I Kill Giants" Comes to the Big Screen

Zoe Saldana’s Fantasy-Drama
‘I Kill Giants’ Acquired by RLJE Films

{Source: Variety] RLJE Films has acquired the U.S. rights to the fantasy-drama “I Kill Giants,” starring Zoe Saldana, Madison Wolfe, and Imogen Poots, for a 2018 release.

“I Kill Giants,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is based on the 2008 graphic novel by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura. Anders Walter directed from a screenplay by Kelly. XYZ Films is handling worldwide rights on the movie, which was backed by Ingenious and financed by Umedia with the participation of Having Me Films.

Wolfe portrays a teenage girl who chooses to escape the realities of school and a drab family life by retreating into her magical world of titans and giants. With the help of her new friend Sophia (Sydney Wade) and her school therapist (Saldana), Barbara will learn to battle her giants and face her fears — tackling the bullies at school, her sister (Poots), and her difficult home life.

The producers are Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, Kyle Franke, Joe Kelly, Kim Magnusson, Martin Metz, Adrian Politowski, and Nick Spicer. Peter Bevan, Johanna Hogan, Michelle Miller, Susan Mullan, Justin Nappi, Mark Radcliffe, Xinyue Sun, and Wei Zou exec produced the pic.

“We’re thrilled to acquire an amazing film that was so well received at the Toronto International Film Festival,” said Mark Ward, RLJ Entertainment’s chief acquisitions officer.

Saldana was last seen in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and will appear next in “Avengers: Infinity War.” She is filming James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels. Wolfe starred in “The Conjuring 2.”

Ward and Jess De Leo from RLJE negotiated the deal with Nate Bolotin at XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers.