Sony Pictures Classics has acquired international distribution rights to The Julia Set, the feature debut of writer-director Niki Byrne, starring Chase Infiniti, following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The deal covers the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Benelux, Switzerland, South Africa, Israel, much of Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. The acquisition marks a significant step for the independent drama, which struggled to find support in Hollywood during development before attracting a major distributor.
Niki Byrne revealed at the Toronto premiere that the project faced repeated rejection during its development. “Pitching a movie about a girl who does math in Hollywood goes about as well as you would expect it would go,” the filmmaker remarked, describing the difficulties of getting the story made. After years of trying to bring the project to the screen, Byrne has secured a distribution deal that will take the film to audiences across multiple territories.
The acquisition also gives Chase Infiniti another leading role following her performance in One Battle After Another, the multi-Oscar-winning film that brought her wider recognition. Sony Pictures Classics praised Infiniti’s work in the new drama, saying the response at TIFF confirmed that her acclaimed performance in the earlier film “was no accident.” The statement places Infiniti at the centre of the film’s appeal, with her latest role offering a different setting for her growing screen presence.
Chase Infiniti plays Julia Fischer, a gifted university student who has become accustomed to concealing her mathematical abilities. Her life changes when Pascal, a charismatic teaching assistant played by Christopher Briney, recruits her into an elite preparation course for the Putnam Exam, a notoriously difficult undergraduate mathematics competition. As Julia prepares for the challenge, her growing relationship with Pascal complicates her academic ambitions. Pascal’s father, Aleksander, played by Jason Isaacs, adds another source of pressure through his demanding expectations.
Rather than treating mathematics merely as a backdrop, Niki Byrne connects Julia’s academic talent to questions of confidence, ambition and personal independence. Gillian Anderson plays Anne, Pascal’s mother, who helps Julia recognise an opportunity that could shape her future. Anderson also serves as an executive producer, contributing to the project beyond her on-screen role.
The ensemble cast also includes Nina Hoss, Chlöe Bailey, Carmen Ejogo, Nico Hiraga, Liz Lin and Alex Dillard. The film brings together an extensive cast as its story moves between competitive university life, family expectations and an increasingly complicated romance.
The production required several adjustments to bring its principal cast together. Filming was delayed by a month to accommodate Chase Infiniti’s schedule. Christopher Briney, meanwhile, joined the project only weeks before shooting began after the production lost its original choice for Pascal. Briney described his onboarding as a rush job, explaining that he had limited time to prepare for the demanding role.
The film was shot in London, with its compact production schedule requiring careful coordination across the cast.
Sony Pictures Classics negotiated the acquisition with Gersh. The agreement covers an extensive range of territories, including Eastern Europe, excluding Poland, and Asia, excluding Singapore, alongside the other markets included in the deal. The distributor’s official film page lists The Julia Set as an upcoming release, although a theatrical release date has not yet been announced.
A film built around a young woman’s mathematical abilities has now found a distributor prepared to carry its story well beyond the festival circuit. The acquisition gives The Julia Set an international distribution pathway following its TIFF premiere, while its eventual release date and further distribution details remain to be announced.
