Haut Et Court has acquired French distribution rights to the upcoming historical epic Captives, directed by Alejandro Amenábar, best known for The Others and Oscar-winner The Sea Within famous.

The $15 million film was shot last year in Valencia, Alicante and Seville, Spain, and is currently in post-production. Film Constellation is handling worldwide sales for the film. Walt Disney Pictures will distribute the film in Spain.

The film centers on the origin story of Miguel de Cervantes, author of the novel "Don Quixote" as a young man, who was captured by the Moors in Algiers at the age of 28.

The story takes place in Algiers in 1575, where the wounded Spanish soldier de Cervantes was imprisoned by Ottoman pirates. If his compatriots fail to pay the ransom soon, he faces a brutal death, but inside his cell, Cervantes discovers a surprising refuge - the art of storytelling.

His story fascinates the other captives and attracts the attention of the mysterious and feared Bey Hassan of Algiers, igniting a secret bond between captive and prisoner. As tensions in the city grew and suspicions mounted, Cervantes, driven by unwavering optimism, devised a bold plan for freedom.

This is the second time Haut et Court has released a film by Aménabar, after they collaborated on the 2019 war film "While at War" (released in France under the title "Lettre à Franco").

Haut Et Court said in a statement: "After reading the powerful script and seeing some of the stunning early visuals, we are eagerly anticipating the final film. Alejandro's response to Cervantes (World A fresh perspective on the youth of one of literature's most iconic writers, this story is brought to life in a way that resonates strongly with today's world, with its universal appeal, stellar cast and Alejandro. With Dro's extraordinary talent, this film is sure to captivate audiences."

Julio Pena (Berlin, Through My Window) co-stars Alessandro Borghi (Eight Hills, Super Sex), photography by Alex ·Catalan ("Loving Pablo", "In the War") is responsible for the production design by Juan Pedro de Gaspar ("Even the Rain", "Queen of Spain"), and the costume design is by Nicoletta Taranta ("Chiara", "Rose" Island”), with editing by Carolina Martínez (“La Fortuna”), visual effects by Ana Rubio (“The Beast,” “Elite”) and music by Amenábar.

The film is produced by Fernando Bovaira of Mod Producciones (The Others, The Summit, While at War, Biutiful), Himenóptero (Regression, The Sea Inside) and Misent Producciones in association with Propaganda Italia ("Monica", "Piove"), with the participation of Netflix, RTVE and RAI Cinema, and with the support of ICAA, Generalitat Support for Valencia and European images.