Fox Searchlight has picked up the North American distribution rights to Richard Shepard's dark comedy crime film Dom Hemingway.  The film stars Jude Law as a safe-cracker who gets out of prisoner and sets out to obtain what he’s owed.  However, a near-death experience leads him to try and re-connect with his estranged daughter (Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke).  I really enjoyed Shepard's 2005 flick The Matador, so I'll be keeping this flick on my radar when it opens next year.

Hit the jump for the press release.  The film also stars Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I) and Demián Bichir (A Better Life).

Here's the press release.  The synopsis is in bold:

FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES ACQUIRES

RICHARD SHEPARD'S “DOM HEMINGWAY” 

Specialty Arm Acquires North American Rights

and Select Major Territories from HanWay Films

LOS ANGELES, CA June 3, 2013 - Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced today that the company has acquired North American rights as well as select major territories to the black comedy crime tale DOM HEMINGWAY.  Written and directed by Richard Shepard, DOM HEMINGWAY stars Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Demián Bichir and Emilia Clarke.  The film was produced by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Thomas at Recorded Picture Company.  The film is scheduled to be released in 2014.

“We were so attracted to this film, with its rich array of characters and sharp dialogue.  Jude Law's clever and outrageous performance as Dom is completely transformative, unlike anything you have seen him do before,” said Utley and Gilula.

“From the beginning Jeremy, Jude and I talked about Fox Searchlight distributing Dom Hemingway. They're the best, and you only want the best for your baby. I'm over the moon and under the influence,” said Shepard.

“I'm so glad that my friends at Searchlight will be dancing with Dom, continuing the tradition of many movies as this is in the vein of Sexy Beast, which was in collaboration with Searchlight, so they are the perfect partners,” said Thomas.

Jude Law plays Dom Hemingway, a larger-than-life safecracker with a loose fuse who is funny, profane, and dangerous.  After twelve years in prison, he sets off with his partner in crime Dickie (Richard E. Grant) looking to collect what he's owed for keeping his mouth shut and protecting his boss Mr. Fontaine (Demián Bichir). After a near death experience, Dom tries to re-connect with his estranged daughter (Emilia Clarke), but is soon drawn back into the only world he knows, looking to settle the ultimate debt.

The deal was brokered by Fox Searchlight's Executive Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions Tony Safford and Senior Vice President of Business Affairs Megan O'Brien, with HanWay Films Managing Director Thorsten Schumacher and COO Jan Spielhoff on behalf of the filmmakers.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a specialty film company that both finances and acquires motion pictures.  It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox.  Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.