NEW YORK (December 21, 2011) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all North American and UK rights to Woody Allen’s next film, NERO FIDDLED. The film stars Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page.

Produced by Letty Aronson, Steve Tenenbaum, Giampaulo Letta and Faruk Alatan, NERO FIDDLED, is a Medusa film and Gravier production. The film was Allen’s first film shot in Rome.

NERO FIDDLED marks Allen’s fifth film with Sony Pictures Classics. Allen’s most recent film with SPC, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, has made almost $60 million at the box office and is Allen’s highest grossing film in North America. The film also recently garnered four Golden Globe nominations. SPC’s previous collaborations with Allen include YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER starring Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Frieda Pinto; the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival’s opening night film WHATEVER WORKS starring Larry David, Patricia Clarkson and Evan Rachel Wood; and SWEET AND LOWDOWN, which garnered Oscar nominations for Sean Penn and Samantha Morton.

“More laughs in this one than you can imagine. We know it’s a bit premature, but thank you Woody and company, for granting us the perfect summer comedy of 2012. Keep ‘em coming,” says Sony Pictures Classics.

Allen adds, “I’ve had a number of very good experiences working with Sony Classics, culminating most recently with MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. They seem to be very sensitive to the kind of films I make, and I’m looking forward to working with them now again.”