“Erupcja,” Pete Ohs’ mysterious romantic movie starring Charli xcx, Lena Góra and Jeremy O. Harris, has been boarded by Magnify in the run up to its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
The company will handle international sales on the buzzy movie, which is slated to bow in the Centrepiece section at Toronto. CAA Media Finance represents domestic rights.
Set in Poland, “Erupcja” follows two women as they complicate their romantic lives. Nel (Góra) lives in Warsaw, where she works at a flower shop. When her childhood friend Bethany (Charli xcx) comes to visit with a new boyfriend, a volcano erupts. The cast is completed by Harris, Will Madden (“Jethica”) and Agata Trzebuchowska (“Ida”). “Erupcja” is produced by Ohs, Harris, Charli xcx, Luke Arreguin and Josh Godfrey.
“We’re thrilled to partner again with Pete and the team on ‘Erupcja,’” said Austin Kennedy, head of sales at Magnify. “Charli and Lena deliver magnetic performances in this fresh, bold story that further establishes Pete as a visionary filmmaker on the global stage.”
Ohs previously directed and produced the acclaimed deadpan horror-satire “Jethica,” which premiered at SXSW in 2022, and the Sundace-bowing comedy “Love and Work” in 2024. He also co-wrote, produced and shot Albert Birney’s fantasy adventure “Obex,” which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Most recently, he directed “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick,” which debuted at SXSW this year.
“Film sales ultimately seems to look like a lot of Zoom calls, so I’m extremely grateful to Austin and Phoebe at Magnify for being genuinely enjoyable humans and a pleasure to work with on all these movies that I’m making,” said Ohs, who also praised Magnify for showcasing his “favorite American independent cinema to the international market, from ‘Tangerine’ to ‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point.’”
Following the critical and commercial success of her sixth album “Brat,” Charli xcx has set her sights on conquering the film world. “Erupcja” is one of many films that the multi-hyphenate has in the pipeline, including Julia Jackman’s “100 Nights of Hero,” which premieres at Venice Critics’ Week; Romain Gavras’ upcoming action-adventure “Sacrifice”; a “Faces of Death” remake; Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex” alongside Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman; Cathy Yan’s “The Gallerist” with Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega; her pop star mockumentary “The Moment” directed by frequent collaborator Aidan Zamiri; and the next film from horror auteur Takashi Miike.
Back in October, Variety was the first to announce that “Erupcja” was in development. “Charli is an excellent actress,” Ohs said at the time. “She is a performer. She understands what it’s like to have a camera pointed at her. She understands how to convey things through all the different ways in which we communicate, whether it’s with body language or your voice or your facial expressions. She had a scene where she cried, without being asked – she could deliver all the goods. She’s a legit actress.”
“Erupcja” joins Magnify’s busy fall slate, which includes Gastón Solnicki’s “The Souffleur” starring Willem Dafoe, set for its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and the Harmony Korine–produced “Barrio Triste,” which was selected in Venice, Toronto and New York, among others. Upcoming titles handled by Magnify include Ulrike Ottinger’s “The Blood Countess” starring Isabelle Huppert; “Filipiñana,” the debut feature from Rafael Manuel made in partnership with Film4; and “Jealous White Men,” a re-imagining of Charles Darwin’s expedition, currently in pre-production.
