John Hopewell
Strand Releasing has acquired U.S. rights to later-life romantic comedy “The Mystery of Happiness,” a Disney release in Argentina and the latest laffer from one of the best-known voices of the new Argentine cinema, Daniel Burman.
HBO has acquired U.S. pay TV rights FilmSharks Intl. is selling pic at Cannes.
Disney released “Mystery” Jan. 16 and grossed $3 million. That reps the biggest Argentine BO take ever for Burman.
In first international licensing, “Mystery” has sold to Festival Films for Spain and Portugal; Colombia’s biggest distributor and exhibitor Cine Colombia; MultiCines for Ecuador; and Medyavision for Turkey.
Buena Vista Intl. has rights to all of South America, Fox Intl. Channels has pay TV rights.
Co-produced by Total Filmes, “Mystery” is toplined by Guillermo Francella, star of sleeper “Corazon de Leon,” which grossed $9.5 million for Disney last year.