Hot off of the announcement of its upcoming world premiere at Sundance, Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions have snapped up U.S. rights to the dramatic thriller “Alice,” written and directed by Krystin Ver Linden (“Ride,” “Love in Vain”). The highly anticipated film marks the feature debut of Ver Linden, who was recently named one of Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” for 2022. Alice will be released theatrically on March 18, 2022.

The film stars Keke Palmer as Alice, an enslaved person yearning for freedom on a rural Georgia plantation under its brutal and disturbed owner Paul (Jonny Lee Miller). After a violent clash with Paul, she flees through the neighboring woods and stumbles onto the unfamiliar sight of a highway, soon discovering the year is actually 1973. Rescued on the roadside by a disillusioned political activist named Frank (Common), Alice quickly comprehends the lies that have kept her in bondage and the promise of Black liberation. Inspired by true accounts, Alice is a modern empowerment fable tracing Alice’s journey through the post-Civil Rights Era American South.

In addition to Palmer (“Hustlers,” “Star”), Common (“Suicide Squad,” “Selma”) and Miller (“Dark Shadows,” “Frankenstein”), the film stars Gaius Charles (“Salt,” “The Messenger”), Alicia Witt (“Orange Is the New Black,” “Nashville”), Craig Stark (“Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood”), and Shiquita James (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”). The music was produced and songs curated by Common, Karrien Riggins, and Patrick Warren. Alice was financed and produced by Peter Lawson (“John Wick”) through his Steel Springs Pictures banner.

“As soon as we saw ‘Alice,’ we knew we had to take it off the market before its Sundance debut,” said Vertical Entertainment Partner Peter Jarowey. “It is that rare film that is at once important, enlightening and extremely entertaining. Together, Krystin and Keke take us on an inspiring and unforgettable journey that offers a fresh perspective on a little-known and troubling part of our nation’s history.”

“We are extremely excited to be bringing Krystin Ver Linden’s brilliant feature debut Alice to U.S. audiences,” said Roadside Attractions Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff. “It features an outstanding cast led by Keke Palmer’s powerful, multi-faceted performance, which confirms her remarkable abilities as a dramatic actress.”

Producer Peter Lawson stated, “’Alice’ has been such a special and emotional project from the beginning. With the prodigious talent that is Keke Palmer, standout performances from Common and Jonny Lee Miller as well as Krystin’s incredible storytelling and vision, we are delighted to have Roadside Attractions & Vertical Entertainment on board to bring Alice to U.S. audiences nationwide. We always set out to make a theatrical picture and are excited that our film be seen on the big screen where it belongs.”

Palmer and Common are executive producers on Alice alongside Jose Agustin Valdes and Vickie de Varona Hsieh.

The deal was negotiated by Jarowey and Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi on behalf of Vertical Entertainment, by Cohen and Senior Director of Acquisitions Angel An on behalf of Roadside Attractions, and by CAA Media Finance and Verve Ventures on behalf of the filmmakers.

About Vertical Entertainment
Founded in 2012, Vertical Entertainment has become a leading global independent distributor releasing films across all mediums. Vertical’s unique combination of full-service marketing and highly effective sales services provides collaborative solutions for filmmakers, as the company leverages creative and platform relationships to maximize revenue streams from all content providers.

Current and upcoming Vertical Entertainment releases include Peter Hutchings’ romantic comedy The Hating Game starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell; John Pollono’s directorial debut Small Engine Repair starring Jon Bernthal, Shea Whigham, Jordana Spiro and Ciara Bravo; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Joe Bell starring Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller and Connie Britton; Castille Landon’s After We Fell, the third installment of the After series starring Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin.
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Vertical’s past successes include Channing Godfrey Peoples’ “Miss Juneteenth,” starring Nicole Beharie in her Best Actress Gotham Independent Film Award-winning performance and four Independent Spirit Award nominations including Best Female Lead and Best First Feature, and NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture; Best Picture Golden Globe Award nominee “Music,” directed by Sia and starring Best Actress Golden Globe Award nominee Kate Hudson; Eytan Rockaway’s “Lansky” starring Harvey Keitel and Sam Worthington; the Toronto Film Festival Midnight Madness breakout “Shadow in the Cloud,” directed by Roseanne Liang and starring Chloe Grace Moretz; “The Informer,” with Andrea Di Stefano directing the star-studded cast of Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Common, Clive Owen, and Ana de Armas; “Robin’s Wish,” the revelatory account of iconic comedian Robin Williams’ final days, directed by Tylor Norwood; Tate Taylor’s “Ava” with John Malkovich, Geena Davis, Joan Chen, Colin Farrell and Jessica Chastain and “Yes, God, Yes,” directed by Karen Maine and starring Natalia Dyer and Timothy Simons. Chris Kelly’s “Other People,” with Molly Shannon in her Independent Spirit Award-winning performance; and Babak Anvari’s BAFTA and British Independent Film Award-winning thriller “Under the Shadow.”

About Roadside Attractions
Since its founding in 2003, Roadside Attractions’ films have grossed more than $500 million and garnered 23 Academy Award nominations. The company recently released “The Courier,” “Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It” and “The Alpinist.” Upcoming 2022 films include “Aline,” a fiction freely inspired by the life of Celine Dion, Terence Davies’ “Benediction” and the Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes starrer “The Forgiven.”

The company has released such critical and commercial hits as “Judy,” “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” “I Can Only Imagine,” “Manchester by the Sea,” “Ben Is Back,” “Beatriz at Dinner,” “Whitney,” “Stronger,” “Love & Friendship,” “Hello,” “My Name Is Doris,” “Mr. Holmes,” “Love & Mercy,” “A Most Wanted Man,” “Dear White People,” “The Skeleton Twins,” “All Is Lost,” “Mud,” “Winter’s Bone,” “The Cove,” “Arbitrage,” “Margin Call” and “Super Size Me.”

About Steel Springs Pictures
Steel Springs Pictures is Peter Lawson’s Los Angeles and Australian based production company which develops, produces and co-finances film and television projects that focus on thought provoking and socially impactful true-life stories. The company recently wrapped production on “Alice” from writer Krystin Ver Linden and starring Keke Palmer and Common. The feature film is to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022. A number of projects are also in development including “Rising Above,” the true story of Howard University’s soccer team and its legendary coach, Lincoln ‘Tiger’ Phillips.