The Runaways, Floria Sigismondi’s biographical story about the friendship between Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, who founded the rock ban the Runaways in the ’70s, has found a distributor in Apparition. The acquisition was a preemptive grab on Apparition’s part, a month before the film was to screen at the Sundance Film Festival in late January.

Part of what attracted Apparition to the indie film was its box office potential. Among the cast, The Runaways includes Twilight starlets Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as the band’s teenage guitarist and singer. Other members of cast include Alia Shawkat (Whip It), Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween), Michael Shannon (Bug, Revolutionary Road), Tatum O’Neal, and Brett Cullen.

Considering that I don’t know much about Joan Jett before she hit it big with songs like “I Love Rock n’ Roll,” this film could be one of the indie gems of 2010. Hopefully Alia Shawkat has a sizeable role in this one, since she was one of the high points of Drew Barrymore’s Whip It. I think there’s an unwritten rule that any young actress that works with Ellen Page will get a small career boost (see Olivia Thirlby who played her friend in Juno).

Apparition plans to release the film in theaters March 19, 2010.

The Runaways will mark the fifth title Apparition has released after Bright Star, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, and the upcoming films The Young Victoria and Tree of Life.

Credit: The Hollywood Reporter