Wild Bunch has snatched up all rights in Germany, France and Spain for The Pilot: A Battle for Survival, a Russian World War II action film from director Renat Davletyarov (Steel Butterfly, Mortal Affair).
The Pilot is set in December 1941. Russian pilot Nikolai Komlev (Dead Mountain and Stalingrad star Pyotr Fyodorov), flying his Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, is shot down behind enemy lines. After surviving a crash in a remote forest, he has to find his way back home, battling hunger and extreme cold while evading packs of hungry wolves and detachments of German soldiers.
“We were really convinced by the story and the production value of The Pilot, which is also one of the most beautiful Russian films we’ve ever distributed,” said Wild Bunch’s Gregory Strouk.
International sales group Central Partnership, the Gazprom Media subsidiary handling sales for the title worldwide, has closed deals for The Pilot in 180 territories to date. Well Go USA has domestic rights for the film.
Given the uncertainty in Europe around cinemas closures — countries including Austria, Slovakia and the Netherlands have imposed lockdowns or tight curfews that have impacted theaters — it is not yet clear what sort of release Wild Bunch is planning for the title.
