The Orchard has acquired North American distribution rights The Hero, a drama about a fading Western star that offers up a showy role for vet actor Sam Elliott.
It reunites the actor with director Brett Haley, after their teaming in I’ll See You in My Dreams.
Their latest collaboration premiered Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews.
The Hero follows Elliott’s Lee Hayden, an actor whose glory days are behind him. A pothead and an occasional voiceover actor, he decides to try to make amends with his family following a cancer diagnosis.
Laura Prepon, Nick Offerman, Krysten Ritter and Elliott’s real-life wife Katharine Ross co-star.
The Orchard plans a wide release for the film this fall.
It’s the company’s second acquisition out of Sundance following its deal earlier this week for North American rights Trophy, a documentary about big-game hunting and the threats it poses to certain endangered species.