Focus Features has picked up the dramatic film Suffragette and is aiming for a fall 2015 release of the feature film from director Sarah Gavron. Suffragette was written by Abi Morgan and stars Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan, Ben Whishaw, Anne-Marie Duff, and Brendan Gleeson. Focus acquired the North American distribution rights from Pathé and will likely promote the movie as a potential 2016 Oscar contender.
“Suffragette is a story that will resonate with men and women across the generations; it is about parents and children, courage and dedication, and making hard choices. Sarah, Abi, Alison and Faye are women who represent an amazing convergence of filmmaking talent. We’re proud to partner with Pathé to bring this powerful drama to audiences worldwide,” said CEO of Focus Features Peter Schlessel commenting on the acquisition.
The Suffragette Plot:
Suffragette is a moving drama that will empower all who are striving for equal rights in our own day and age. The stirring story, inspired by the early-20th-century campaign by the suffragettes for the right of women to vote, centers on Maud (Mulligan), a working wife and mother who comes to realize that she must fight for her dignity both at home and in her workplace. Realizing that she is not alone, she becomes an activist alongside other brave women from all walks of life. The early efforts at resistance were passive but as the women faced increasingly aggressive police action, the suffragettes become galvanized – risking their very lives to ensure that women’s rights would be recognized and respected.
