Sony and Higher Ground Productions will have its Kevin Hart drama Fatherhood released on Netflix on Friday June 18, just before Father’s Day.
Note this is a licensing deal, not a full on acquisition of the movie by Netflix. It’s a similar deal that Sony has cut with Hulu on Happiest Season and AppleTV+ on Greyhound. Essentially, Netflix has licensed worldwide rights, except China which Sony will keep. Meanwhile, Sony will keep the IP and all transactional home entertainment windows outside of Netflix.
Fatherhood, directed by Paul Weitz, is based on the book Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love by Matthew Logelin. Based on a true story, the pic follows Hart as a single dad who brings up his baby girl after the unexpected death of his wife a day after their daughter’s birth.
The pic’s most recent theatrical release date was set for April 16. Yesterday Sony moved up the theatrical release of Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway from June 11 to May 14 as the appetite for family fare has grown during the pandemic, and with box office capitals NYC and San Francisco reopening and Los Angeles expected to be back online soon.
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground Productions are producing with a screenplay by Dana Stevens and Weitz. Producers are Marty Bowen, Hart, David Beaubaire, and Peter Kiernan. EPs are Betsy Danbury, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth, Bryan Smiley, Jaclyn Huntling Swatt, Isaac Klausner, Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin.
Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howery, DeWanda Wise, Anthony Carrigan, Melody Hurd and Paul Reiser also star.
Earlier this year, Hart and his HartBeat Productions inked an exclusive partnership with Netflix for feature films as well as a first-look production deal. Fatherhood was independently licensed and not part of this overall deal.
Weitz is represented by UTA and attorney Alex Kohner at Morris Yorn. Stevens is represented by UTA and attorney Wendy Kirk at Ziffren Brittenham. Hart is repped by 3 Arts, UTA and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.