Neon Acquires North American Rights to Kleber Mendonça Filho’s ‘The Secret Agent’

 Neon has acquired the North American rights to Kleber Mendonça Filho‘s “The Secret Agent.”

The film premiered in competition at Cannes on Sunday. Wagner Moura, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leon, Carlos Francisco, Alice Carvalho, and Hermila Guedes star.

Neon plans for a North American theatrical release later this year.

“The Secret Agent” is set in Recife, Brazil, in 1977 and follows Marcelo (Moura), a technology expert in his early 40s, who is on the run. He arrives in Recife during carnival week, hoping to reunite with his son but soon realizes that the city is far from being the non-violent refuge he seeks.

Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge said, “Mendonça began his career as a reporter and critic, and that sensibility infuses every frame, striking an enticing balance between originality and homage.”

The film was produced by Emilie Lesclaux. Co-producers include Nathanaël Karmitz, Elisha Karmitz, Fionnuala Jamison, Olivier Barbier, Leontine Petit, Erik Glijnis, Fred Burke and Sol Bondy. It is a Cinemasópio, MK Productions, Lemming Film and One Two Films presentation. MK2 Films is representing the international sales rights to the film.

The deal was negotiated by Neon’s Sarah Colvin and Jeff Deutchman with MK2 Films’ Fionnuala Jamison on behalf of the filmmakers.

Mendonça Filho spoke with Variety before the film’s premiere, praising Moura. He said, “Wagner is a classic movie star who comes attached to a truly fantastic guy.” He continued, “I have great pride in having worked with him and hope this is the first of many films we do together. He has done great things in the past, but I think this is his greatest performance yet. I sound like a salesman, but when I talk about Wagner, I am overcome with emotion.” 

Mendonça Filho is an award-winning Brazilian filmmaker known for work which confronts Brazilian socio-political society. “The Secret Agent” is his third film to premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, following “Aquarius” in 2016 and “Bacurau” which he co-wrote and co-directed with Juliano Dornelles and which won the Prix du Jury in 2019. In 2017, he served as the jury president of the Critics’ Week section at Cannes and his second documentary, “Pictures of Ghosts,” premiered in the Special Screenings section at the 2023 festival.

In other Cannes players, Neon also has Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value.” It also premiered Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha” in competition, Raoul Peck’s “Orwell: 2+2=5,” and Michael Angelo Covino’s “Splitsville “starring Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona, which Neon also produced.

Last year, Neon was behind Sean Baker’s “Anora.” The film won the Palme d’Or and went on to win five Academy Awards including best picture.