Sony Pictures Classics has acquired US and Latin American rights to the action comedy The Guard, written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and starring Brendan Gleeson as an unorthodox Irish policeman who joins forces with a straitlaced FBI agent, played by Don Cheadle, to take on an international drug-smuggling gang.

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The deal was negotiated on behalf of the producers by Rena Ronson and David Flynn of UTA and Metropolis Film Sales with Sony Pictures Classics.

The Guard also stars Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Rory Keenan with Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan and Dominique McElligott, Sarah Greene, Slovenian newcomer Katarina Cas, Pat Shortt and Darren Healy.

The Guard is produced by Reprisal's Chris Clark and Flora Fernandez Marengo and Element's Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, with Martin McDonagh, Don Cheadle, Lenore Zerman, Tim Smith, Paul Brett, Ralph Kamp and David Nash as executive producers.

The Guard is a Reprisal Films and Element Pictures production in association with Prescience, Aegis Film Fund, UK Film Council and Crescendo Productions and with the participation of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board.