Roku Originals Lands U.S. Rights to Romantic Comedy “This Time Next Year”

From Night Train Media and BlackBox Multimedia, and based on the best-selling novel, the film will stream exclusively in the U.S. on Feb. 10 on The Roku Channel

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jan. 22, 2025 — Roku, America’s #1 TV streaming platform*, is preparing viewers for Valentine’s Day with the acquisition of the U.S. rights to popular rom-com “This Time Next Year.” Adapted from Sophie Cousens’ New York Times best-selling novel and produced by Night Train Media and BlackBox Multimedia, “This Time Next Year” saw a strong debut last year as the #1 film on Netflix in the U.K. the week following its release**. Roku will bring the film to the U.S. for streamers to enjoy for free on The Roku Channel.

The film stars Sophie Cookson (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”) as Minnie Cooper and Lucien Laviscount (“Emily in Paris”) as Quinn Hamilton, with a standout ensemble cast that features Golda Rosheuvel (“Bridgerton”). Rosheuvel will also lend her voice to narrate the U.S. version. The film is directed by Nick Moore (“Wild Child”), the celebrated editor of legendary romantic comedies “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill.”

In the film, Minnie (Cookson) and Quinn (Laviscount) are born on the same day, in the same hospital, just one minute apart. Their lives may begin together, but the paths they take from there couldn’t drift further apart. Years later, fate brings Minnie and Quinn together again. Will they embrace the new beginning and take a chance on love?

“We look forward to bringing this film, with heartfelt storytelling and an incredible cast, directly to our Roku streamers, just in time for Valentine’s Day,” said Brian Tannenbaum, Head of Originals, Roku Media.

Sophie Cousens, screenwriter and author of “This Time Next Year,” commented: “I’m thrilled to see this film launch in the U.S. I hope fans of the book will enjoy seeing the novel brought to life, and that a new audience will have the chance to fall in love with Minnie and Quinn’s story. I grew up on the classic romantic comedies of the ’90s and early 2000s — these films are the reason I started to write, and as such, I always pictured ‘This Time Next Year’ as a movie. To see it come to screen with such a talented cast and crew has been a dream come true.”

“This Time Next Year” is produced by Herbert L. Kloiber for Night Train Media, Giuliano Papadia from BlackBox Multimedia, and Erika Hossington. Executive producers are Chiara Cardoso from BlackBox Multimedia and James Copp from Night Train Media. The project is overseen by Morgan Pichinson and Sabrina Lyall on behalf of Roku Originals.

*By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: Dec 2024)

**The week following release defined as September 23 – September 29, 2024
 

About The Roku Channel
Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 500 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals. The Roku Channel is also available in Mexico, Canada, and the U.K.
 

About Night Train Media
Night Train Media (NTM) was founded in February 2020 by Herbert L. Kloiber, former managing director of Tele München Group. Based in Munich and London, NTM is active on a global scale. Utilizing a vast network of international producers and distributors, NTM’s core segments include development, licensing, co-production and co-financing of premium English and local language fictional and factual content. Feature productions include ROGUE AGENT, starring James Norton and Gemma Arterton (Netflix, IFC); and series productions THE EX-WIFE, (the first UK commission by Paramount+); THE CATCH (Channel 5/Paramount+), THE INHERITANCE (Channel 4) and THE VANISHING TRIANGLE (Sundance Now).

NTM is backed by Private Equity investor Serafin Group, and is majority owner of London-based factual distributor BossaNova Media, founded by Paul Heaney, leading factual production company Curve Media, alongside global fiction distributor Eccho Rights.
 

About BlackBox Multimedia
BlackBox Multimedia is a film and TV production company, founded by industry veteran Guy Avshalom (Lionsgate UK) and led by MD Chiara Cardoso. With operations in London, Italy and Spain, BlackBox specializes in the development and production of TV series and films for the global market. The company’s first TV series “The Ex-Wife”, co-produced with Clapperboard Studios, was Paramount+’s first original in the UK. In 2023, BlackBox coproduced, also for Paramount with Clapperboard, “The Castaways” and “The Serial Killer’s Wife”. The last year has also seen BlackBox produce two films, a rom-com based on a best-selling novel “This Time Next Year”, which became the number one watched film on Netflix in its opening week of release, and “Home Education”, which became the highest grossing horror from a debut director in Italian history, and enters the top 10 highest grossing Italian-produced horror films over the last 30 years, after its Italian cinema release (distributed by Warner Brothers) at the end of last year. The company also has a curated development slate for Spain and Latin America.