Piece of Magic Entertainment Acquires Theatrical Rights for "One to One: John & Yoko" Across Europe
Across a wide range of European territories, including France, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Piece of Magic Entertainment has secured theatrical rights from Mercury Studios for "One to One: John & Yoko."
The Oscar-winning Kevin Macdonald's ("The Last King of Scotland," "Marley") documentary, which made its global debut at Venice and was recently featured at Sundance, offers an in-depth look into Lennon and Ono's lives in Greenwich Village during the early 1970s.
The restored footage of Lennon's only full-length post-Beatles performance, the "One to One" benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in August 1972, is at the heart of the film. Sean Ono Lennon, the couple's son, oversaw the remastering of the film's audio.
Reconstructing the couple's Greenwich Village apartment paints a vivid picture of their American experience. The film incorporates period TV footage covering the Vietnam War, "The Price is Right," and Walter Cronkite newscasts. It follows the evolution of their protest approach during this period, leading to the "One to One" concert inspired by a Geraldo Rivera TV exposé.
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman described the film as "a rare rock doc that's a must-see" in his review.
"I was moved by Kevin Macdonald's exceptional narrative, which not only provides a nuanced understanding of life in America at the time but also resonates deeply with today's world," said Caspar Nadaud, CEO and founder of Piece of Magic Entertainment. "As a John Lennon fan, it is a gift to receive such a refreshingly insightful and intimate perspective on this legendary couple and to experience the newly restored once-in-a-lifetime concert with incredible remastered sound. I firmly believe that the big screen is the best venue for this exceptional experience, and I am thrilled to collaborate with Mercury Studios to bring it to European audiences."
"I'm delighted that Piece of Magic is distributing the film in Europe," added Will White, senior VP content sales for Mercury Studios. "They have a deep understanding of music films, which builds on our strong relationship since our 2018 release of 'Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool' together."
Produced by Plan B/KM Films and Mercury Studios, the film's executive producers include Brad Pitt and Sean Ono Lennon. Sam Rice-Edwards co-directs and edits the film, which has been picked up for North American distribution by Magnolia Pictures.