‘The Julia Set’ Sells Out Worldwide for HanWay Films

By Tom Whitfield

HanWay Films has sold out every territory worldwide for “The Julia Set,” the coming-of-age drama starring “One Battle After Another” breakout Chase Infiniti. The sales closed following the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, and the release is now targeted for 2027.

The anchor deal, announced earlier, went to Sony Pictures Classics, which took the U.S. plus a long list of international territories: Benelux, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, the U.K., Eastern Europe excluding Poland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel, and Asia excluding Singapore. HanWay Films and Gersh negotiated that agreement.

Who took the remaining territories?

HanWay has now filled every gap on the map. The additional buyers are:

• Sphere (Canada)
• Cinesky Pictures (Airlines)
• MegaCom Films (Former Yugoslavia)
• SND (France)
• Vuelta Germany (Germany)
• The Film Group (Greece)
• Synapse Distribution (Latin America)
• Front Row (Middle East)
• Kino Świat (Poland)
• Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais (Portugal)
• Shaw Renters (Singapore)
• Bir Film (Turkey)

Niki Byrne directs. The film follows math prodigy Julia Fischer, played by Infiniti, who is recruited into an elite prep course that ends in what the producers describe as the most punishing exam in mathematics. Along the way she falls for her charismatic teaching assistant Pascal, played by Christopher Briney. Pascal buckles under the expectations of his father Aleksander, played by Jason Isaacs. Gillian Anderson plays Pascal’s mother Anne, who helps Julia recognize and seize the moment that will define her future.

The cast also includes Nina Hoss, Carmen Ejogo, Chloe Bailey, Nico Hiraga, Liz Lin and Alex Dillard.

What do the filmmakers say?

Byrne welcomed the sell-out in characteristically mathematical terms. “There are so many wonderful things I could say about HanWay, but nothing speaks louder than these three words: sold out, worldwide,” Byrne said. “Thank you to Gabrielle and her incredible team, and to our extraordinary partners in every territory, for believing in this film, and for giving Julia her passport.”

Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films, pointed to the campaign ahead rather than the deals behind. “We are delighted to have such great partners for ‘The Julia Set’ globally. We look forward to working with SPC and all our partners on shaping a fantastic campaign for 2027. Congratulations to Niki Byrne and the whole team,” Stewart said.

Producers Jeffrey Penman, Nick Scherma and Shaun Sanghani produce through Potato Salad Cosmic Domination, in association with SSS Entertainment, G Nus Media, IF/THEN, Grapevine Films, Cinetrain SA, Melegrano Films, HanWay Films, Gotham Group, Good Future Films and Vacancy Film Fund. The producer roster also includes Gillian Anderson, Eleonora Granata Jenkinson, Andrey Epifanov, David Treatman, Max Johnson, Lee Stollman, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Tayler Haynes.

“From Niki’s first draft to TIFF to today, The Julia Set has kept finding the right people,” Scherma and Penman said. “We’re endlessly grateful to Gabrielle and the HanWay team, to SPC, and to every partner who has taken Julia on. We can’t wait for audiences everywhere to meet her in 2027.”

Executive producers include Margaret Black, Nicole G. Small, Chase Infiniti, Cecily Colahan, Gabriel Jenkinson, Kenneth Yu, Vico Sharabani, Natalia Gurova, David Koenig, Joey Suquet, Phil Hunt, Harsimranjit “Harry” Ahluwalla, Ryan Lewis, Stephen Lamm, Michael Cassutt, Jonah Minkove, Debra Taweel, J. Todd Harris, Art Williams, Chad Oliver, Daniel Sheldon, David Fensterstock and Russell Posternak. DJ Dodd, Paolo Pilladi, Rob Simmons and Mitchell Darwin co-produce.

What does this change for the film?

A full sell-out removes distribution risk before a single marketing dollar is spent, and it hands Sony Pictures Classics a coordinated global rollout rather than a patchwork of staggered releases. The caveat: sell-outs measure buyer confidence, not audience appetite. That verdict arrives in 2027.