'Half Nelson' team reunites for 'Sugar'

NEW YORK, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Sony Pictures Classics said Thursday it has acquired the North American and Latin American distribution rights to the new movie "Sugar" from HBO Films.

"Sugar" is the second feature by the "Half Nelson" writing-directing team of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden.

Their latest movie is about Miguel Santos, a.k.a. Azucar, "a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro de Macoris, struggling to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty," the movie studio said.

Starring newcomer Algenis Perez Soto, the film received critical praise when it screened in competition at the Sundance film festival.

"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Tom Bernard and Michael Barker and the whole Sony Pictures Classics team on 'Sugar,' " producers Paul Mezey, Jamie Patricof and Jeremy Kipp Walker said in a statement. "Time and again they have proven their unique ability to reach broad audiences, championing exciting and original voices and bringing surprising stories to the big screen. We couldn't ask for a better home."

Fleck and Boden added: "We couldn't be more thrilled that Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing 'Sugar' -- they are the perfect people to be putting it out there. They've been doing this for a long time and doing it extremely well. We're just excited to be working with people who genuinely love movies -- good movies."

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