Danny DeVito & Andie MacDowell Holiday Movie ‘A Sudden Case Of Christmas’ Heading To Cannes Market With VMI Worldwide

EXCLUSIVE: VMI Worldwide has taken international sales rights to A Sudden Case of Christmas and will present the holiday flick starring Danny DeVito, Andie MacDowell, Wilmer Valderrama, and Lucy DeVito buyers at this week’s Cannes Market. 

The pic is from director Peter Chelsom (The Space Between Us) with a screenplay penned by Chelsom, Tinker Lindsay, Gianluca Bomprezzi, Neri Parenti, Dederico Baccomo, and Francesco Patierno.

The film follows Lawrence (DeVito), who runs a grand hotel in the mountains of Italy. Every winter, he hosts the extended family for Christmas – but this year, his daughter (Lucy DeVito) and her husband (Valderrama) are bringing their 10-year-old, Claire (Antonella Rose), to visit in August. The young couple comes with shocking news, they are divorcing and tasked Lawrence with being the bearer of bad news to Claire. When Claire realizes her soon-to-be broken family won’t be returning in December, she insists on having one last Christmas with the entire family now in the middle of summer. Her other grandparents (MacDowell and José Zúñiga) are summoned while Claire, in collusion with her grandfather Lawrence, plans activities designed to reunite her parents and bring the whole family back together.

Guglielmo Marchetti and Stefano Bethlen of Notorious Pictures (The Honeymoon) and Nik Bowerof Riverstone Pictures (Rally Road Racers) are producing. The deal was negotiated by Jessica Russo of VMI and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers. Scott Freije and Julie Paquit at VMI will be handling sales in Cannes. 

“We are honored to introduce the heartwarming picture A Sudden Case of Christmas to the international buyers in Cannes,” said Andre Relis, CEO of VMI Worldwide. “The film inhabits the true meaning of love, family, and Christmas set against the beautiful Dolomite Mountain range of Italy.” 

Guglielmo Marchetti Chairman of Notorious Pictures added: “We are enthusiastic about this collaboration, the VMI team immediately understood the great potential of A Sudden Case of Christmas. Like us, they loved this film, a rom-com that warms the heart and is still a fun watchable experience.”