Saban Films Acquires North American Rights To MI-5 Starring Kit Harington And Jennifer Ehle

Saban Films has acquired the North American distribution rights to MI-5 starring Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones,”, TESTAMENT OF YOUTH), Academy Award nominee Peter Firth (“Spooks”), Jennifer Ehle (FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY, ZERO DARK THIRTY), Tuppence Middleton (“Sense 8”, JUPITER ASCENDING), and Elyes Gabel (“Scorpion”, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR). MI-5 (known outside the US as SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD) is based on the original BAFTA Award® winning BBC television series.

Series director Bharat Nalluri (TSUNAMI: THE AFTERMATH, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY) has also directed the screen adaption, which was written by the series writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent (“Humans”).

The thriller is currently scheduled to open theatrically at the end of the year.

When a terrorist escapes custody during a routine handover, Will Holloway (Harrington) must team with disgraced MI5 Intelligence Chief Harry Pearce (Firth) to track him down before an imminent terrorist attack on London.

“MI-5 is an espionage thriller led by the talented Kit Harington,” said Saban Films President Bill Bromiley. “Given the strong and loyal following of actioners, we are confident that fans will delight in the film based on the hit UK series.”

MI-5 was produced by Ollie Madden, Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett for Shine Pictures and Kudos. The film was co-produced by Jane Hooks and Robert Norris.

Bromiley and Ness Saban negotiated the deal on behalf of Saban Films with WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers.

Saban Films recently partnered with Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions to acquire Tom Tykwer’s A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING starring two-time Academy Award Winner Tom Hanks. Since the company’s launch in 2014, Saban Films has released domestically: THE HOMESMAN, starring Academy Award winners Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank; Philip Martin’s THE FORGER starring John Travolta; and TRACERS starring Taylor Lautner. Upcoming titles in the Saban Films slate are: AMERICAN HEIST starring Hayden Christensen, Academy Award Winner Adrien Brody, Jordana Brewster, Tory Kittles and Aliaune “Akon” Thiam; SOME KIND OF BEAUTIFUL starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek and Jessica Alba; Alex and Ben Brewer’s THE TRUST starring Nicolas Cage; MAN UP starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell; I AM WRATH with John Travolta; BACKTRACK starring Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and Sam Neill; and USS INDIANAPOLIS starring Nicolas Cage.