Sydney-based distribution company Hopscotch has inked a three-year output deal with independent studio Summit Entertainment.
The multiyear agreement will see Hopscotch distribute Summit films in all media across both Australia and New Zealand.
Toronto-based Entertainment One, which acquired Hopscotch for $20 million earlier this year, has had a distribution deal with Summit since 2007 for Canada and the UK.
The move comes after the Australian/New Zealand box office success of action-thriller Source Code, which Hopscotch acquired from Summit. The film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, grossed almost $6 million in Australia, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
“Summit produces premium commercial films that Hopscotch/eOne will proudly offer to our audiences for years to come,” Hopscotch/eOne managing director Troy Lum said in a statement.
It’s anticipated that Hopscotch/eOne will release 6-8 films annually across both territories under the agreement, which will start with Summit’s next film going into production.
Hopscotch Films currently has two new films in development – Stuart Beattie’s I, Frankenstein and Robert Luketic’s Brilliant – which are expected to go into production within the next five months.