Teton Ridge Entertainment, the diversified production company creating stories rooted in the spirit of the American West, has acquired exclusive adaptation rights to the 1952 classic High Noon from revered film icon Stanley Kramer. The film won four Academy Awards and became known as one of the greatest American films ever made. Teton Ridge Entertainment united the rights held by Karen Sharpe-Kramer, Bianca Roe, Channon Roe and Stephen Jaffe, together with those held by 2521 Entertainment and brought on Thunder Road Pictures to lead creative for the feature film adaptation.
Teton Ridge Entertainment’s Jillian Share, Thomas Tull, and Jen Gorton will produce the film adaptations alongside Erica Lee and Basil Iwanyk for Thunder Road Pictures, and David L. Hunt and Jon Walter for 2521 Entertainment. Tyler Zacharia, Christopher Hammond, Karen Sharpe-Kramer, Bianca Roe, Channon Roe and Stephen Jaffe will executive produce. Television adaptations will be executive produced by Teton Ridge Entertainment’s Jillian Share, Thomas Tull, and Jen Gorton, as well as Karen Sharpe-Kramer, Bianca Roe, Channon Roe and Stephen Jaffe.
In addition to High Noon, Teton Ridge Entertainment has recently announced several acquisitions of iconic American Western IP. These include the rights to the Lonesome Dove franchise, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Western epic, and the life rights of beloved, Academy Award winning actor John Wayne.
Karen Sharpe-Kramer said, “Over the years, I’ve received many offers for High Noon, but I’ve waited for a partner that truly understands its legacy, values, and eternal themes. My husband believed in the power of stories to challenge us to stand up for what’s right. Teton Ridge Entertainment shares that belief and recognizes that this story is as relevant today as it was in 1952. I have tremendous respect for how they are breathing new life into the Western, a genre that sits at the very foundation of American storytelling. I’m excited to work with them as a creative collaborator to help bring this timeless story to a new generation.”
“High Noon is essential to the American Western, and one of the rare films that holds up this cleanly seventy-four years later. Our job now is to honor what makes the original endure and to build something that speaks to where we are. The Kramer Estate, the Roes, 2521 Entertainment and Thunder Road Pictures are exactly the right partners for that work,” said Share, President of Teton Ridge Entertainment.
High Noon follows a retired town marshal forced to face a vengeful outlaw alone when the townspeople refuse to help him. The original landmark 1952 American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, received seven Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe nominations. In addition to Cooper winning Best Actor for his role as Marshal Will Kane, the film also won Academy Awards for Best Editing, Best Score, and Best Song. In 1989, the film was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Its story and ending have inspired numerous later films, including many westerns.
Teton Ridge Entertainment’s music documentary, Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool, about country star Lainey Wilson as she redefines what it means to be a modern country star, premiered on Netflix in April.
Michael Moskowitz of Moskowitz Law Firm, PC led all deal negotiations on behalf of Teton Ridge Entertainment. Patrick Allach of Longo & Alach LLP represented Karen Sharpe-Kramer; James Adams of Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham LLP represented Bianca and Channon Roe; L. Wayne Alexander of Alexander, Lawrence, Frumes & Labowitz, LLP represented Stephen Jaffe; Eric Harbart represented Thunder Road; and Tyler Zacharia, COO of 2521 Entertainment, negotiated on behalf of the company.
Lead image: Gary Cooper in High Noon (Image via Eureka Entertainment)