There are a lot more comedies and starry projects in the final Park City edition of the Sundance Film Festival, which provides optimism for sales agents.
However, similar to what we said heading into Toronto, the marketplace remains unpredictable: It’s not hot until it is, until many are fawned over inside the Eccles Theatre. At a time when the autumn box office saw myriad indie theatrical casualties, no distributor wants buyer’s remorse. Alas, they remain vigilant about their financial boundaries.
But won’t the final Sundance in the indie holy land before it uproots to Boulder, Colorado, provide a bit of a nudge to buyers? The spirit of the festival’s current state and the needs of streamers and theatrical distributors couldn’t be more different.
As far as the state of indies coming out of last year’s Sundance, it’s been a flip of the coin. On one end we have Netflix’s purchase of Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams, yielding four Oscar noms on Thursday, not to mention all Oscar-nominated feature documentary nominees this year — The Alabama Solution, Come See Me in the Good Light, Cutting Through Rocks, Mr. Nobody Against Putin and The Perfect Neighbor — world-premiered at Sundance last January. Neon’s acquisition of the Dave Franco-Alison Brie horror rom-com Together for $15M minted $32.2M around the globe and was considered a success. But on the other side, there was the Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions/LD Entertainment distribution deal for Bill Condon’s Jennifer Lopez-led Kiss of the Spider Woman, which, though the most prolific movie at last year’s fest, only grossed $1.6M at the domestic box office.
But there’s a lot to look up to even if streamers such as Apple (which typically desires global rights) and Amazon have receded in comparison to their buying sprees from the past, new distribution players including Row K and Black Bear are in the marketplace, Netflix’s appetite to acquire what it truly adores (and it doesn’t have to be the entire world), Paramount’s plan to up its annual theatrical output to 15 titles (the studio recently hired Lia Buman as its new Head of Global Acquisitions) and Warner Bros’ new genre label led by former Neon marketing chief Christian Parkes, which many are betting doesn’t walk away from the fest empty-handed. Also, we’re told that Focus Features might have space on its annual slate for two movies. Essentially, buyers will say they aren’t needy, until they exit the Eccles Theatre intoxicated from what they just witnessed.
Back at TIFF, we explained how the lack of pay-1 streaming deals for myriad theatrical distributors makes it hard for them to compete, but that didn’t stop Row K from snapping up Dead Man’s Wire or Maude Apatow’s Poetic License last year. Essentially, some frosh distributors have to build a slate so as to ultimately secure a pay-1 streaming deal.
Said one seller, “When you’re a new player in the market, you have to show that you’re serious and willing to take risks.” Remember when newly anointed head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke arrived here in 2019? She went on a massive mutlimillion-dollar buying spree, picking up the Mindy Kaling comedy Late Night and the Adam Driver pic The Report, among others.
“Ya gotta make a statement, or else you’re tiptoeing,” added the same sales source.
And if you don’t have a streaming deal, don’t worry — there are other creative ways a movie can upload to a buyer whether it’s no minimum guarantee and high distribution fees or double downing on PVOD. There are solutions for equity stakeholders when it comes to mitigating risk on a production.
Below is a list of titles at Sundance mentioned often by buyers and sellers:
All premiere times are Mountain.
Antiheroine / U.K., U.S.A. (Directors: Edward Lovelace, James Hall, Producers: Julia Nottingham, Melanie Archer, Hattie Bridges Webb, Jon Lullo)— Singer, songwriter, and actor Courtney Love has long had an impact on rock and pop culture. Now sober and set to release new music for the first time in over a decade, Courtney is ready to reveal her story, unfiltered and unapologetic. Premieres section. WME Independent repping. Premiere: Jan. 27, Eccles Theatre, 9PM
Buddy / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Casper Kelly, Screenwriter: Jamie King, Producers: Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Tracy Rosenblum) — A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show. Cast: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt. World Premiere. Midnight. Worldwide co-repped by UTA and Range. Premiere: Thursday, January 22nd, The Library, 11:59PM.
Carousel / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Rachel Lambert, Producers: Alex Saks, David Lipper, Robert A. Daly Jr., Ian Gotler, Chris Pine) — A divorced doctor’s carefully constructed life in Cleveland is upended when his daughter’s debate aspirations and the unexpected return of a past love force him to confront his own choices and embrace a second chance. Cast: Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston, Katey Sagal. World Premiere. Available online for public. CAA and WME Independent are co-repping with Stoic on International. U.S. Dramatic Competition. Premiere: Today, Jan. 22, Eccles Theatres, 3:30PM.
Cookie Queens / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Alysa Nahmias, Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw, Jennifer Sims) — It’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which childhood and ambition collide. The executive producers here are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. World Premiere. Documentary. Family Matinee section. WME Independent co-repping with Submarine. Sunday, Jan. 25, Eccles Theatre, 9AM.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: David Wain, Screenwriter: Ken Marino, Producers: Anthony Bregman, Peter Cron, Ken Marino, Crystine Zhang, Charles Zhong)— Midwestern bride-to-be Gail Daughtry has a “free celebrity pass” agreement with her fiancé — who uses it. With her relationship in crisis, Gail sets out on an epic journey through Hollywood to even the scales. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang. World Premiere. Premieres. WME Independent repping. Premiere: Jan. 25, Eccles Theatre, 6PM.
The Gallerist / U.S.A., France (Director and Screenwriter: Cathy Yan, Screenwriter: James Pedersen, Producers: Ash Sarohia, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Jonathan King, Tom McCarthy, Rae Baron)—A desperate gallerist conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami. Cast: Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Catherine Zeta-Jones. World Premiere. Premieres. MRC handling sales. Premiere: Jan. 24, Eccles Theatre, 9:30PM.
The Huntress (La Cazadora) / Mexico, U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Suzanne Andrews Correa, Producers: Gabriela Maire, Edher Campos, Mynette Louie) — In the border city of Juárez, Mexico, where violence against women is perpetrated with impunity, an unlikely defender emerges with a desperate call for change. Inspired by true events. Cast: Adriana Paz, Teresa Sánchez, Jennifer Trejo, Eme Malafe, Guillermo Alonso. World Premiere. World Cinema Dramatic Competition. UTA repping North America. Premiere: Thursday, Jan. 22, The Library, 3PM.
The Invite / U.S.A. (Director: Olivia Wilde, Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Producers: David Permut, Ben Browning, Megan Ellison) — Joe and Angela are on thin ice, and tonight might be when it all falls apart. Unfortunately, their upstairs neighbors are about to arrive for dinner, and everything that can go wrong goes worse. Cast: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton. World Premiere. Fiction. Premieres section. UTA repping. Premiere: Saturday, Jan. 24, Eccles Theatre, 6PM.
I Want Your Sex / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Gregg Araki, Screenwriter and Producer: Karley Sciortino, Producers: Seth Caplan, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Courtney L. Cunniff)—When fresh-faced Elliot lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder. Cast: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, Charli XCX. World Premiere. Premieres. CAA handling sales. Premiere: Jan. 23, Eccles Theatre, 6:15PM.
Josephine / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Beth de Araújo, Producers: David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Marina Stabile, Mark H. Rapaport, Crystine Zhang) –– After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety while adults are helpless to console her. Cast: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Philip Ettinger, Syra McCarthy, Eleanore Pienta. World Premiere. U.S. Dramatic Competition. CAA and WME Independent are co-repping. Premiere: Jan. 23, Eccles Theatre, 2:45PM.
Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Alex Gibney, Producers: Erin Edeiken, Sruthi Pinnamaneni)— Previously unseen footage captured by Salman Rushdie’s wife, Rachel Elizabeth Griffiths, documents his journey. Following not just his physical rehabilitation, but also the restoration of his spirit and optimism. Inspired by Rushdie’s memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. World Premiere. Documentary. Worldwide repped by UTA and AC Independent. Premieres. Premiere: Sunday, Jan. 25, The Ray, 2:30PM.
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Judd Apatow, Neil Berkeley, Producers: Amanda Rohlke, David Heiman)— Blurring the line between performance and personal crisis, comedian Maria Bamford turns her mental health journey into material that’s riotously funny and ultimately inspiring. What emerges is a portrait of an artist transforming vulnerability into creative strength through honesty. World Premiere. Documentary. Premieres. Worldwide being repped by UTA and WME. Premiere: Thursday, Jan. 22, The Ray, 8:45PM.
See You When I See You / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Jay Duplass, Screenwriter and Producer: Adam Cayton-Holland, Producers: Fred Bernstein, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon)— With the help of his family, a comedy writer battles PTSD after the tragic death of his sister. Cast: Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, Ariela Barer. World Premiere. CAA repping. Premiere: Jan. 27, Eccles Theatre, 12PM.
The Shitheads / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Macon Blair, Producers: Alex Orr, Brandon James, Dave Franco, Nathan Klingher, Mark Fasano, Josh Harris, Ford Corbett)—When two unqualified bozos are hired to transfer a rich teen to rehab, their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem. Cast: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun, Peter Dinklage. World Premiere. Premieres. CAA and WME Independent International co-repping. Premiere: Jan. 23, Library Center Theatre, 8:45PM.
Take Me Home / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Liz Sargent, Producers: Apoorva Guru Charan, Minos Papas) — Anna, a 38-year-old Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability, cares for her aging parents in a fragile balance of meeting one another’s needs. When a Florida heat wave shatters their family and Anna’s routine, her future is uncertain until she creates a world where she can thrive. Cast: Anna Sargent, Victor Slezak, Ali Ahn, Marceline Hugot, Shane Harper. World Premiere. U.S. Drama Competition. Gersh repping. Premiere: Jan. 26, The Library, 3PM.
Troublemaker / South Africa, U.S.A., U.K. (Director and Producer: Antoine Fuqua, Screenwriter: Michael Toomey Mann, Producers: Mac Maharaj, Arthur Landon, Kevin Mann, Mark Bauch, Thabang Lehobye)— The struggle against apartheid is recounted through Nelson Mandela’s own voice, drawn from recordings he made while writing his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. World Premiere. Documentary. Premieres. WME Independent and LBI Entertainment co-repping. Premiere: Jan. 27, The Yarrow Theatre, 5:3PM.
The Weight / U.S.A. (Director: Padraic McKinley, Screenwriters: Matthew Booi, Matthew Chapman, Shelby Gaines, Producers: Simon Fields, Nathan Fields, Ryan Hawke, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo) —In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he’ll go to see his child again. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Sam Hazeldine. World Premiere. Premieres section. CAA and WME Independent International co-repping. Premiere: Jan. 26, Ray Theatre, 8:45PM.
Wicker / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Eleanor Wilson, Alex Huston Fischer, Producers: Ed Sinclair, Tom Carver, Justin Lothrop, Brad Zimmerman, Ryan Heller, Lia Buman)— A fisherwoman asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband. Cast: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan. World Premiere. Fiction. Premieres section. CAA co-repping U.S. with UTA. Premiere: Jan. 24, Eccles Theatre, 2:45PM.
