TF1 International has closed key territory sales on Ol Parker's "Now Is Good," a romantic drama toplining Dakota Fanning as a teen with a terminal illness who falls in love. The British film, based on Jenny Downham's bestselling novel "Before I Die," also stars Jeremy Irvine, Paddy Considine and Olivia Williams. Pic, which is produced by Peter Czernin and Graham Broadbent at Blueprint Pictures, was acquired by Universum for Germany, Vertigo for Spain, United Pictures for South Korea, M Pictures for Thailand and Bir Films for Turkey.
Previous deals were inked with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for North America and Warner Bros. for the U.K.. TF1 will screen "Good" for the first time to buyers at Berlin's European Film Market. In the run up to Berlin, TF1 International has also taken worldwide sales rights to family comedy "Ducoboo 2 Crazy Vacation," animated feature "Aya Of Yop City," and action-adventure pic "Asphalt Playground." "Ducoboo 2" is the sequel of "Ducoboo," a comicbook-based laffer, which grossed a healthy E9.2 million ($12 million) in Gaul. "Aya" is another auteur-driven animated feature set up at Joann Sfar's Autochenille Prods., the shingle behind Cesar-nommed "The Rabbi's Cat." Toon is also based on a comicbook. It turns on a 19-year-old girl and her friends living in a small African village.
Both "Ducoboo 2" and "Aya" will be released in France by UGC Distribution. "Ducoboo 2" will roll out in France on April 25. "Aya" will be delivered during the second half of this year. Julien Abrahams' feature debut, "Asphalt Playground" follows a band of troubled kids living in a French housing project who get embroiled in a gang war. It's produced by Paris-based outfit Ex-Nihilo and is now in post-production. At Berlin, TF1 Intl. will unveil promo reels of Australian surf drama "Drift" and Claude Miller's "Therese Desqueyroux," starring Audrey Tautou.