Baltasar Kormákur’s latest film The Deep (Djúpið) will be screened across the U.S. next year after an agreement was reached with Focus World yesterday to distribute the movie.

Negotiations between the Icelandic company Blue Eyes Production and Focus World (Focus Features), which is part of NBCUniversal, have been ongoing for some time.

According to Baltasar, it took some time to finalize the distribution agreements. Other companies were also interested in the film, Morgunblaðið reports.

“This is one of the largest companies in the business and has a very good reputation so we decided to work with them,” Baltasar said.

Baltasar, who is currently in L.A. working on post production of Two Guns, said he is happy about entering the U.S. market, describing it as the hardest market to break into with foreign films.

The film was nominated as Iceland’s contribution to next year’s Academy Awards and will be up against 70 other films for the prize.

The Deep will, however, not be screened in the U.S. until after the Academy Awards in February. Around 50,000 moviegoers in Iceland have seen the film.

ZR