Toronto 2011: IM Global to Shop Late-Summer U.K. Hit 'Inbetweeners'

4:11 PM PDT 9/8/2011 by Pamela McClintock

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The bawdy comedy, based on the cult British television show, has earned north of $56 million in less than three weeks in the U.K., besting every summer tentpole besides "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2."

TORONTO—The decision to hold off introducing British comedy The Inbetweeners to foreign buyers until after the movie’s debut in the U.K. was a shrewd move.

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The big-screen version of the British cult television show has earned a mammoth $56.3 million since opening Aug. 17 and is already the No. 3 title of the year in the U.K.—beat out only by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($116.6 million) and The King’s Speeech ($74.9 million).

Stuart Ford’s IM Global is beginning its major sales push for Inbetweeners at the Toronto Film Festival, where the company will screen the pic for international distributors for the first time.

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“It’s doing extraordinary business,” said Ford. “Rather than show the movie early, we wanted to let the U.K. release unfold. Based on the box office, it’s headed for record books, and it’s better to have that information.”

The bawdy comedy’s performance--about four hapless teenage boys who go on holiday together—already posted the No. 1 opening week of all all-time for a live-action comedy, grossing $32.9 million. The Film4-backed project is being released by Entertainment Film Distributors in the U.K.