Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Variety, the directorial debut feature from Maude Apatow. The comedy originally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics praising its handling of emotionally complicated relationships and Leslie Mann’s lead performance. Following a festival run that initially saw the project land with an upstart buyer, the studio plans to roll out the movie in theaters in 2027.
Sony Pictures Classics Rescues Maude Apatow’s Directorial Debut
The acquisition resolves a distribution limbo for the project after its original purchaser ran into severe financial distress. The Playlist was initially acquired out of the 2025 festival by Row K Entertainment in a deal reported to be valued between $5.5 million and $7 million. However, the fledgling distribution company quickly became inundated with unpaid bills, vendor disputes, and a creative exodus that included the departures of president Megan Colligan, chief revenue officer Mo Rhim, and chief marketing officer Ben Carlson. After Row K dropped the rights and failed to fulfill its legal obligations to the filmmakers, sales representatives at WME Independent took the project back out to market and negotiated the new worldwide agreement with The Hollywood Reporter.
Plot, Cast, and Creative Team Behind the Comedy
Written by Raffi Donatich, the film centers on Liz, a former therapist and soon-to-be empty nester played by Leslie Mann. Liz relocates to a new college town for her husband’s job and decides to audit a poetry class. While trying to settle into her unfamiliar surroundings, she unexpectedly becomes the point of tension between two inseparable best friends and college seniors, Sam and Ari, portrayed by Cooper Hoffman and Andrew Barth Feldman. As the pair engage in a fierce competition for her attention, their escalating rivalry upends all three of their lives, drawing Liz into a narrative exploring longing, self-discovery, and personal reinvention.
The expansive ensemble cast also features Nico Parker, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Martha Kelly, Maisy Stella, and Will Price. Behind the camera, the production team includes Judd Apatow, Josh Church, Benjamin Hung, Thalia Daniel, Maude Apatow, Olivia Rosenbloom, and Will Greenfield as producers. The executive producer roster comprises Jamal Daniel, Michelle Upton, Renee Witt, Harrison Kreiss, and Jay Cassidy.
Studio Leadership Reacts to the Acquisition
For the first-time filmmaker, landing the project at the veteran studio fulfilled a lifelong aspiration shaped by her upbringing. I grew up watching and loving the films released by Sony Pictures Classics. They shaped my understanding of what movies could be. To now be working alongside Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and the entire team is a dream come true,
Apatow said in a statement.
Leadership at TheWrap shared similar enthusiasm for the project, noting that it highlights a major milestone in the creator’s career. In an official statement, the studio remarked, Poetic License marks the arrival of an exciting new chapter for filmmaker Maude Apatow, whose distinctive creative vision is evident in every frame. Equal parts funny and heartfelt, the film features career-best performances from Leslie Mann, Cooper Hoffman and Andrew Barth Feldman, whose undeniable charm and chemistry light up the screen. We are thrilled to bring Maude’s directorial debut to theaters next year and give audiences the opportunity to experience the same magic we felt when we first saw the film.
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