Press Releases

Culver City, CA [April 20, 2018] -- TriStar pictures announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to Happiest Season from writing duo Clea DuVall and Mary Holland. DuVall, who was recently recognized as one of The Alice Initiative's top 20 rising filmmakers, will direct the holiday-season romantic comedy, making this her first studio project. Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner will produce with Jaclyn Huntling overseeing for Temple Hill.

Happiest Season captures the story of a young woman whose plan to propose to her girlfriend while at her family's annual holiday party is upended when she discovers her partner hasn't yet come out to her conservative parents.

Clea DuVall currently stars in the Emmy Award-winning, HBO series "Veep" and recurs in the groundbreaking new hit series, "The Handmaid's Tale." Her directorial debut, The Intervention, which she also wrote and stars in, premiered in dramatic competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Mary Holland, previously named one of Vulture's "50 Comedians You Should Know," is a veteran of the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater and recently developed the comedy pilot Romancing the Globe for YouTube Red.

"Happiest Season is a refreshingly modern comedy about the complexity of navigating romantic relationships and family dynamics," said Hannah Minghella, President of TriStar Pictures. "Clea and Mary have written a hilarious and heart-warming movie full of emotional truth that is sure to become a holiday classic. We're proud that TriStar is partnering with Clea and Temple Hill to make this film."

"Mary and I are beyond thrilled to be working with TriStar and Temple Hill," said Clea DuVall. "Happiest Season is extremely important to us, and we could not ask for a better team to collaborate with to bring it to the screen."

"Teaming up with Clea to write Happiest Season has been a highlight of my life," said Mary Holland. "I am so proud of what we created, and am thrilled to be partnering with TriStar and Temple Hill in bringing it to life!"

"In Happiest Season, Clea and Mary have come up with a brilliant twist on the Christmas comedy that is laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving," said Marty Bowen. "It manages to be both timely and timeless in the best of ways and we think it's a holiday classic in the making."

Hannah Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar Pictures.

Clea DuVall is represented by Gersh and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis. Mary Holland is represented by ICM Partners, Primary Wave Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE's Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html .