AMC Theatres Sets Thanksgiving Release for ‘Say A Little Prayer’

The Luis Fonsi indie romcom “Say A Little Prayer” has set a distribution deal with AMC Theatres that calls for the movie to be released in 100 theaters in large U.S. markets during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

AMC, the nation’s largest exhibitor, inked the deal directly with “Say A Little Prayer” producer New Cadence Productions. The film marks the movie debut of Fonsi, the Latin music superstar known for his 2017 global smash “Despacito.”

The deal marks another example of exhibitors breaking the mold and cutting distribution deals directly with independent producers. The movie will be promoted through trailers running in theaters with sponsorship support from Spanish-language media firm SBS Broadcasting.

“Supporting ‘Say A Little Prayer’ was a natural fit for us, as Luis Fonsi’s music is already a staple on our stations,” said Raul Alarcon, CEO of SBS. SBS owns top radio stations in Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.

Producer Cristina Nava noted that her banner, Migrant Filmworks, has “traditionally taken the conventional distribution route with our films, but the results have often been disappointing.”

New Cadence, a film and TV banner headed by multihyphenate Jeff Valdez and corporate veteran Sol Trujillo, have been at work for several years to build independent distribution channels for Latino-themed content for U.S. Latino audiences.

“When New Cadence proposed a data-driven, ‘New Mainstream’ approach that benefits everyone, we knew it was the right direction — not only for this film but for a more equitable future in film distribution,” Nava said.

Details of the arrangement with AMC Theatres will be discussed Sept. 14 when Fonsi and others take part in a panel session at the annual L’Attitude conference in San Diego. The event spotlights Latino leadership and entrepreneurs across a range of business sectors. Fonsi is set to give a performance at the conference to accompany the debut of the “Say A Little Prayer” trailer that evening.

“Say A Little Prayer” stars Angélica María (“Rosalinda”), Vanessa Vásquez (“Divorce Bait”), Jackie Cruz (“Orange Is The New Black”) and Vivian Lamolli (“East Los High”). The film follows three friends who “recite an ancient prayer in their quest for true love. Their wishes, however, lead them to unexpected and humorous outcomes as they navigate relationships with the wrong partners,” according to the logline.

The romantic comedy is directed by Patrick Perez Vidauri, written by Nancy De Los Santos and produced by Nava for Migrant Filmworks. New Cadence Productions serves as an executive producer and is handling distribution for the title.