Los Angeles, CA – August 29, 2012 –Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER, will star Christina Hendricks in the lead role. Marc Platt and Adam Siegel will produce on behalf of Marc Platt Productions, along with Ryan Gosling via his Phantasma Films banner, and Michel Litvak and David Lancaster via the Bold Films banner. Sierra / Affinity will handle international sales for the film which will be made available to buyers for the first time at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Principal photography for the film is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2013.

Ryan Gosling said, “I am very appreciative to Marc Platt, Adam Siegel and Bold Films for being so supportive and I look forward to making this film with all of them.”

Michel Litvak, Bold Films financier, said, “We have a tremendous amount of trust and confidence in Ryan, Christina, Marc and Adam, both personally and professionally. We responded immediately to Ryan’s script, and look forward to nurturing the next phase of his career and continuing Bold’s commitment to an artistically collaborative environment.”

Producer, Marc Platt added, “We are thrilled to be producing Ryan Gosling’s debut as a writer & director and continue our collaboration which began on DRIVE. He has composed a beautifully haunting script and has a very clear vision of how he will bring it to life. His ability to draw audiences into his world as an actor will serve him well as a filmmaker.”

“Ryan Gosling has established himself as a dynamic talent onscreen with incredible instincts, and that ability to connect with audiences will serve him well in the director’s chair.” said Sierra’s Nick Meyer. “We are excited to be involved with the next phase of his career and look forward to bringing his directorial debut to the international marketplace.”

Written and directed by Ryan Gosling, HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER weaves elements of fantasy noir, and suspense into a modern day fairytale. Set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city, Billy, a single mother of two, is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Both Billy and Bones must dive deep into the mystery, if their family is to survive.

HOW TO CATCH A MONSTER marks Gosling’s first time writing and directing a feature film. Gosling is an Oscar® nominated actor having starred in films including DRIVE, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL and HALF NELSON for which he received his Academy Award® nomination. Gosling also stars alongside Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes in Derek Cianfrance’s THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, which will premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has scored the first major acquisition of the Cannes Film Festival, before anybody has gotten on a plane. The studio is closing a deal for U.S. rights to How To Catch A Monster, the film that is shooting now. Gosling wrote it, produces and stars alongside Saoirse Ronan, Christina Hendricks, Eva Mendes, Matt Smith Ben Mendelsohn and Rob Zabrecky. The studio is paying a $3 million minimum guarantee for the film, a fantasy thriller in which a single mother is swept into a dark underworld, while her teenage son discovers a road that leads him to a secret underwater town.

The film is being financed and produced by Bold Films, and Sierra/Affinity is selling it overseas. Having a major distributor like Warner Bros in place should make that effort much easier. Gosling has starred for the studio in Gangster Squad and Crazy, Stupid, Love, and it sounds here like Warner Bros is betting on him as a filmmaker as well. The deal’s being made by WME Global head Graham Taylor, who was out of the country and couldn’t be reached.

A single mother is swept into a dark underworld, while her teenage son discovers a road that leads him to a secret underwater town.