As the Sundance Film Festival hits its half way point, a clearer picture is emerging of business activities here. Almost all of the films in the main Competition sections have had their initial screenings, so a wait and see attitude has settled in as agents circle the wagons to try and match some of the deals already announced here.
As reported earlier LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, a comedy about a dysfunctional family, has racked up over $10 million in sales and a lucrative backend deal with Fox Searchlight Films. Yesterday, the Michel Gondry existential thriller THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP was bought by Warner Independent Pictures for a reported $6 million.
The latest deal making the rounds is the newly reconfigured Miramax Films, sans Bob and Harvey Weinstein, which has made its biggest festival acquisition, buying North American rights to THE NIGHT LISTENER, director Patrick Stettner’s mystery thriller starring Robin Williams, Toni Collette, recent Golden Globe Award winner Sandra Oh and Rory Culkin. Miramax reportedly paid out close to $3 million for the picture, the first Sundance buy for new Miramax topper Daniel Battsek.
The film was produced by Hart Sharp Productions (GIRLS DON’T CRY) and was co-financed by IFC Films. Reportedly, there was strong interest from Lions Gate and Sony Pictures Classics, but Miramax Films closed the deal in a late night session that ended in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
The film, based on the novel by gay icon Armistead Maupin (TALES OF THE CITY), is the story of a popular radio host, played by Williams, who develops an intense phone relationship with a young listener. Miramax releases the film later this year.
Other films that are now being circled and for which there may well be announcements in the coming days are A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS starring Robert Downey Jr. and THE ILLUSIONIST starring Edward Norton.
Documentary deals, which used to be extremely dynamic in years past with such films as MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, THE ARISTOCRATS, SUPER SIZE ME and BORN INTO BROTHERS has been extremely low key so far.
The only documentary sale of note is the pick-up of broadcast rights by the BBC to THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, veteran documentarian Kirby Dick’s scathing investigation into the film ratings system of the secretive Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA). The film had its first Press and Industry screening yesterday and was met with great enthusiasm by a usually stoic press corps. A theatrical deal for the film seems imminent.
Sandy Mandelberger, Industry Editor
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