Screen Media has acquired North American rights and select international territories to Blackbird, directed by Roger Mitchell. The film is a doctor-assisted suicide drama that stars Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Sam Neill, Rainn Wilson and Bex Taylor-Klaus.

Blackbird was written by Christian Torpe and produced by David Bernardi, Sherryl Clark and Robert Van Norden. The ensemble movie was introduced at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival, with Screen Media picking up its rights from Millennium Media. It’s currently set for a September 2020 release.

In Blackbird, Lily (Sarandon) learns she is terminally ill with ALS, so she and her husband Paul (Neill) gather the family and loved ones together to discuss her options. But when the family gets together, opinions vary, especially those of Lily’s daughters, Jennifer (Winslet) and Anna (Wasikowska), causing their disputes to escalate. In midst of the chaos, Lily must find a way to finally say goodbye to her family.

Seth Needle, senior VP of global acquisitions and co-productions at Screen Media, had this to say in response to the acquisition: “It should come as no surprise with a cast as renown as the one in Blackbird, and under the direction of Roger Michell, that this film is incredibly engaging and moving but also with moments of humor as it examines the messiness of living.”

Mitchell heightens the anticipation for his film, stating that “I think all of us were surprised by how powerful this little film turned out. It punches far beyond its weight and in the final round delivers an astonishing and emotional knockout blow. But along the way it’s much funnier than we all thought too. The ensemble is faultless, and the detail of their performances stops the story feeling maudlin or self-indulgent. I think we’re all really proud of it.”