Louis Clichy’s hand-drawn solo debut “Iron Boy” (“Le Corset”) has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics out of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, with rights secured across North America, Latin America, India and Southeast Asian TV.
A hand-drawn world built from pencil lines is about to travel far beyond France.
Louis Clichy’s solo debut “Iron Boy” (“Le Corset”), a film that follows a young kid forced to wear an iron corset to keep himself from falling over as the world spins around him, has been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics out of Cannes.
The movie premiered this week in the Un Certain Regard section at the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival. It didn’t just land with festival audiences—it also moved quickly in the marketplace, landing a deal that extends the film’s reach well past the Riviera.
Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, co-CEO of Playtime and the negotiator of the deal, said the acquisition feels like a natural next step. “Coming into Cannes. we knew the film would be well received. but its success exceeded even our expectations both in terms of sales and reviews from the international press. It feels only natural that ‘Iron Boy’ has found a home in the U.S. with SPC. Over the years, we built a strong working relationship with Tom, Michael, and Dylan. They are not only exceptional distributors. admittedly among the very best in the industry. but also people of great sensitivity and taste. They will take this film very far,” Brigaud-Robert said.
Sony Pictures Classics will hold the “Iron Boy” rights in North America, Latin America, India and Southeast Asian TV. The deal puts the hand-drawn feature in a new orbit—one that targets audiences who may not have discovered it at Cannes, but will soon meet it in theaters and on TV screens.
The film’s creative team includes animation by Chloë Aubert, with a voice cast that features Gary Clichy (the director’s son), Rod Paradot, Brune Moulin, Dimitri Colas, Aurélie Vassort, Alexandre Astier and Jean-Pascal Zadi.
Producers include Céline Vanlint and Nicolas de Rosanbo for Eddy Cinéma, with Fabrice Delville and Christophe Toulemonde for Beside Production. Agathe Sofer and Alexandre Astier are credited as co-producers through Regular Production, alongside France 3 Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma and RTBF.
Even before the acquisition, the film carried an unmistakable artistic identity into the spotlight. In a positive review. Chase Hutchinson described it as “a bittersweet. gorgeously animated family film that looks like a watercolor painting come to life. ” adding that it draws “from much of the director’s own life. ” and that its imagination is matched by “sharp craft and the passionate care of its storytelling.” Hutchinson called it “the type of film that already feels like it could become a new classic for animation lovers new and old.”.
Now, with Sony Pictures Classics bringing “Iron Boy” to broader territories, Clichy’s delicate, hand-drawn story is set to reach the next wave of viewers—one who may be stepping into that watercolor-like world for the first time.
Iron Boy Le Corset Louis Clichy Sony Pictures Classics SPC Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard hand-drawn animation Nicolas Brigaud-Robert Playtime Eddy Cinéma Beside Production Regular Production Chloë Aubert Gary Clichy family film