Although it’s not playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, after a successful premier at Venice, writer/director Steven Knight and IM Global hosted multiple overflowing buyers’ screenings for Locke, starring Tom Hardy, for the glut distributors at TIFF who are trying to nab top indie pictures. Their efforts proved successful, as Locke now has a U.S. distributor courtesy of A24 Films.

As we’ve discussed before, A24 are quickly making a name for themselves as a destination for indie dramas. In just the last year, they’ve provided distribution for Ginger & Rosa, Spring Breakers, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, The Bling Ring, and (most recently) The Spectacular Now. Locke would figure to be their next step in rolling out a similarly competitive slate next year (or – less likely – continue their run in 2013). They also acquired the post-apocalyptic Aussie flick The Rover, starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, earlier this summer.

Guy Pearce (left) and Robert Pattinson in ‘The Rover,’ which A24 acquired in June.

Like The Rover, the acquisition of Locke would seem to signify an effort to diversify (they apparently topped three other bids to win the rights to Locke). A24’s bread and butter has been teen/early adult dramas, and while it’s hard not to call something like Spring Breakers edgy, both Locke and The Rover figure to pitch to a different audience.

A24 has yet to announce a release date for Locke. As we said, we’d bet on a 2014 release, but based on the early returns on Tom Hardy’s performance it wouldn’t be shocking to see them slip its theatrical debut into the end of this year, either.