Haddock, Tornasol catch 'Criminal' (Variety)

BUENOS AIRES -- Argentina's Haddock Films and Spain's Tornasol Films, producers of the country's foreign Oscar hopeful "The Secret in Their Eyes," have partnered again to produce thriller "Criminal."

Helmed by freshman Miguel Cohan with a E1.5 million ($2.26 million) budget, pic will star Leonardo Sbaraglia ("Night Runner") and Federico Luppi ("Elsa y Fred"), and rising Spanish star Barbara Lennie ("Obaba").

Shooting will start in April with a release planned for September.

This is the latest bet on genre filmmaking by the Argentine biz, which established a reputation in the 1990s and early 2000s for director-focused, minimalist pics.

"The Secret in Their Eyes," a murder caper directed by Juan Jose Campanella, is Argentina's hottest B.O. hit this year, grossing $34.5 million in 16 weeks. Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights for the pic.

Haddock and Tornasol also co-produced Marcelo Pinyero's "Las viudas de los jueves" (The Widows of Thursdays) and Gerardo Herrero's "El corredor nocturno" (Night Runner), which both had strong B.O. runs and positive reviews this year.

Haddock and Tornasol, which plan to produce two films a year, have also greenlit a feature based on "Las Grietas de Jara," the latest novel from Claudia Pineiro ("The Widows of Thursdays"). Julia Solomonoff is attached to direct.