Goodfellas Boards Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi’s Ukraine War Crime Drama ‘Occupation’ For AR Content & Anonymous Content — Cannes Market

EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas has boarded upcoming war crime drama Occupation from Ukrainian writer-director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi (The Tribe). The project, which will be produced by Loveless and Leviathan producer Alexander Rodnyansky alongside Nick Shumaker for Anonymous Content, is being launched to buyers in Cannes this month with Goodfellas repping international sales rights and Anonymous Content and CAA Media Finance co-repping North American rights.

Occupation is based on Peter Pomerantsev’s May 2022 article for The Atlantic entitled “We Can Only Be Enemies”, which follows a Ukrainian family whose house is shelled at the onset of the war. Unable to reach Kyiv, they return to their village. Taking refuge in their bomb shelter, they have no choice but to cohabitate with the Russian solider responsible for the bombardment. Production will begin in Poland this fall.

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AR Content’s Michael Kupisk will exec produce the film alongside Anonymous Content’s David Levine, Linzee Troubh from The Atlantic and Eva Dottelonde, Livia Van Der Staay and Noëmie Devide for Goodfellas.

“This is a tremendous project, the kind that wakes you up, punches you in the face and makes you want to fight for your life,” said Goodfellas President Vincent Maraval. “It reminds us of Son of Saul or Come and See and Myroslav already proved the cinematic power he can bring to this experience with his first film The Tribe.”

AR Content’s Rodnyansky added: “This terrible war has become one of today’s most historic events and this film is important to me as a citizen of the world and as a Ukrainian. Miroslav’s scripted, based on Peter Pomarantsev’s amazing article, is incredibly powerful and, more importantly, true. I’m happy to once again join forces with Vincent Maraval and the Goodfellas team – we’ve worked on some great films together and I am excited to have them aboard this very important project.”

Slaboshpytskyi is the Ukrainian helmer of 2014 Cannes Critics’ Week title The Tribe. He is currently in pre-production on The Tiger with Darren Aronofsky and Protozoa producing, along with Plan B and Goodfellas. Alexander Skarsgard and Dane DeHaan are attached to star for Focus Features.

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