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Paramount Secures North American Rights to The Midnight Library

This Cannes-market acquisition clears financing and schedules pre-production for fall 2026 with filming set for early 2027.

Overview

  • Paramount closed the deal on May 29 after a competitive Cannes bidding war and paid roughly $36 million for North American and multiple international territories.
  • StudioCanal and Blueprint remain the film’s producers and will retain theatrical rights in core markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
  • Florence Pugh is attached to star and produce with Garth Davis directing, and Olivier Award winner Laura Wade and Tony nominee Nick Payne wrote the screenplay.
  • The project is budgeted at about $70 million, will enter pre-production this fall, and aims to begin principal photography in early 2027.
  • The sale is the biggest deal reported out of the 2026 Cannes film market and leverages Matt Haig’s bestselling novel and its built‑in global audience as a commercial anchor.