David Kaplan, producer of the Sundance breakout film Josephine, has applauded the firm dedication shown by Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan toward this independent project. The film, which debuted successfully at Sundance and is currently making waves at the Berlin International Film Festival, centers on Josephine, an eight-year-old girl whose life is shattered after witnessing a violent sexual assault in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Tatum and Chan portray Josephine’s parents, while newcomer Mason Reeves delivers a remarkable debut as Josephine herself. Kaplan remarked on the significant commitments both actors made, not only starring in the film but also taking producer credits for entirely “worthy reasons.”
Longstanding Dedication from Cast Members
Gemma Chan’s involvement with Josephine traces back many years, with her unwavering support helping the project survive turbulent periods before it finally came together. Kaplan emphasized her loyalty and deep connection to her character throughout the film’s challenging journey.
Gemma’s involvement in this film dates back very many years. She stood by it when it was happening before and it fell apart, and she stood by it, when it was time to make the movie. She made the time and was so deeply committed to the character she played,
said Kaplan.
Channing Tatum’s Unexpected but Crucial Role
Channing Tatum joined the production later but proved to be a vital force in securing financing and rallying support. According to Kaplan, Tatum actively advocated for the film to potential backers, demonstrating uncommon dedication in independent film financing. This level of involvement from talent, Kaplan noted, is very rare in the industry.
Channing was a much later addition but I heard stories from people who were involved in the film and people who weren’t involved in the film that he would see people who could finance the film and say, ‘I’m trying to make this film, Josephine, and I believe in it so strongly, and I hope you’ll be a part of it,
Kaplan explained.
He was part of the team raising the money and trying to make the movie. And you just don’t see that very often. Their commitment and their steadfastness, it’s what you dream about in your actors.
Last-Minute Casting Highlights the Film’s Risks and Rewards
Director Beth de Araújo found Mason Reeves, who plays Josephine, just seven weeks before shooting began, after auditioning 90 children for the role. Despite skepticism about casting someone so young and inexperienced, Reeves’ maturity convinced the filmmakers she was the right choice.
Mason was only seven at the time… she turned eight on set. We had a little party… she’s actually younger than on the page, but she seemed so mature for her age,
said Kaplan.
Immediately, from the first time Beth started working with Mason in the casting process, she was like, ‘This is the girl. This is a choice,
he added, mentioning the producers’ doubts about the risks involved in hiring such a young lead.
If we had cast a nine-year-old, we would have been able to work that person more hours every day, so by casting someone younger our schedule had to be longer. We had to spend more money on this film just to cast Mason. Beth had to make compromises creatively to cast this girl who had never acted before… clearly it was the right choice. So, I don’t know, sometimes serendipity or just believe the director who knows what she wants.
Challenges in Financing a Stark, Heavy Drama
The film’s financing faced persistent resistance, with almost all approached investors declining involvement. Kaplan attributed this rejections largely to the film’s serious subject matter and perceived lack of commercial appeal, especially during trying times when lighter entertainment is preferred.
I think reason number one is perceived commerciality,
he said, elaborating on the hesitation.
A film like this couldn’t possibly be commercial. Who wants to see something stark in stark times. We need comedy. We need levity. We need romantic comedies. We need films with Jason Statham, Gerald Butler. you don’t need a film about assault,
Kaplan stated bluntly.
I think there’s also inherent bias against films that are perhaps more geared towards women and assault survivors. So, I think there’s a lack of belief in them as an audience, and a lack of desire to try to find them as an audience.
Sumerian Pictures Secures U.S. Distribution Rights
The film’s future took a positive turn when Sumerian Pictures acquired U.S. rights in a competitive bidding process, marking the company’s largest acquisition to date. Kaplan detailed how the team had multiple offers from various companies, but negotiations focused on U.S. distributors rather than global ones, complicating the distribution strategy.
We were lucky enough to get a few offers on the film from different companies, although interestingly… nothing worldwide, only deals for the U.S. or international, nothing across. We found ourselves an interesting situation where we were picking specifically between U.S. distributors, not world distributors,
Kaplan noted.
We never necessarily envisioned this as a film made for streaming… we had a few offers, varying levels of financing, varying levels of theatrical commitment. Obviously, that plays some role in all of this. It was very important to Beth always, that our investors make their money back if they could. They took tremendous risk,
he added.
Sumerian’s offer stood out not only for its financial value but also for its commitment to a meaningful theatrical release and marketing support, which Kaplan praised as vital for the film’s commercial success.
Part of the calculus, on what we decided was, of course, financial, but Sumerian, in addition to making a very meaningful financial offer, also offered a very meaningful screen commitment, a very meaningful P&A commitment,
he said.
In this market, that’s a huge financial commitment. That’s a great outcome. That’s also not just a great outcome for the investors, it’s a commitment that they are making to the film as a business. They need to now go and push this film to make it work for them financially.’
Producer’s Outlook on Upcoming Projects
Beyond Josephine, David Kaplan shared updates on his other ventures, including the anticipated sequel to It Follows, with David Robert Mitchell returning as director and backing from Neon. Kaplan is also currently overseeing post-production on Gabriel Nussbaum’s debut feature Triumph of the Will.
