{"id":620205,"date":"2026-09-10T09:10:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620205\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T09:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:10:09","slug":"serbian-sci-fi-epic-sanctuary-acquired-for-u-s-distribution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620205\/","title":{"rendered":"Serbian Sci-Fi Epic ‘Sanctuary’ Acquired for U.S. Distribution"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tVertical has acquired U.S. distribution rights to \u201cSanctuary,\u201d an English-language, post-apocalyptic thriller starring \u201cThe Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u2019s\u201d Nina Kiri<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to the synopsis, \u201cSanctuary\u201d is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where the discovery of a cryogenically suspended woman provokes fear in a desperate village, sending a young warrior and the mysterious woman on a quest for a lost city and answers that could restore humanity.<\/p>\n

\n\tDirected by Filip Kova\u010devi\u0107 (\u201cIncarnation\u201d), the film is produced by \u0110or\u0111e Stankovi\u0107, Filip Kova\u010devi\u0107 and Vukota Antunovi\u0107 for Void Pictures and TS Media, the production arm of telecommunications giant Telekom Srbija. It stars Kiri alongside Dutch actor Jonas Smulders (\u201cLuka,\u201d \u201cParadise Drifters\u201d) and Serbia\u2019s Darko Peri\u0107 (\u201cMoney Heist\u201d). World sales are being handled by Sublimity, which has also secured several other international deals.<\/p>\n

\n\tKova\u010devi\u0107, who previously directed the 2016 action thriller \u201cIncarnation,\u201d described \u201cSanctuary\u201d as an attempt to give \u201ca fresh take on dystopian sci-fi, with an original story that takes place in a distinct \u2018semi-far future.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe time is near enough so the events that led to the collapse of civilization are still relevant, but far enough that they have been shrouded in mystery and myth,\u201d the director said. \u201cThe intent was to make an entertaining genre film that explores the cyclical nature of history and the individual\u2019s role inside it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tVariety has been given access to an exclusive teaser for the film, which you can watch here:<\/p>\n

\n\tProducer \u0110or\u0111e Stankovi\u0107, of Belgrade-based Void Pictures, said that the filmmakers \u201cset out to make an ambitious science-fiction film from Serbia that could speak to an international audience without losing its own identity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cProducing the film was an enormous undertaking, but also proof that genre cinema of this scale can come from this part of Europe,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud of what the team created and excited for the film to now begin its journey to audiences around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tVoid\u2019s Vukota Antunovi\u0107 added: \u201cFrom the beginning, \u2018Sanctuary\u2019\u00a0was driven by a shared belief in the story and the world we were building. Bringing together an international and domestic cast and a remarkable Serbian crew allowed us to make something that feels both rooted here and genuinely global.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe ambitious, English-language feature marks a big swing for Telekom Srbija\u2019s TS Media. In a statement provided to\u00a0Variety, the company said that \u201cSanctuary\u201d \u201crepresents a notable shift in scale and ambition for Serbian production.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe film is also part of a wider strategic ambition: to move Serbian scripted production further into the international marketplace, not only as a filming destination but as a source of original IP, creative talent and globally marketable projects,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWith experienced international actors, an English-language screenplay, U.S. distribution already in place and global sales representation, the project offers a case study in how production companies from smaller European markets can approach international genre filmmaking from day one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tCommenting on the acquisition, Sublimity co-founder Alfredo Lara Orbezo said: \u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to have secured key international distribution partners and a terrific U.S. home for a film of \u2018Sanctuary\u2019s\u2019 scope and ambition. Its immersive world-building, remarkable production values and unforgettable performances carry the spirit of iconic sci-fi cinema. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cBringing this film to market alongside Telekom and Void Pictures has been an incredible journey, and we\u2019re proud to share it with audiences worldwide soon.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vertical has acquired U.S. distribution rights to \u201cSanctuary,\u201d an English-language, post-apocalyptic thriller starring \u201cThe Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u2019s\u201d Nina Kiri.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620206,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[93,61,60,270,263251],"class_list":["post-620205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-movies","tag-nina-kiri"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}