“Exhibiting Forgiveness” is an impressive first feature, boldly conceived and emotionally fraught, with masterful performances and powerful works of art woven into the narrative. It’s a film that confronts the multigenerational impact of addiction and abuse, and the way art can be personally transformative and therapeutic, even though the artist may struggle to communicate directly with those around them. If I’m “wrong” about that, I’m sorry, but that’s still a powerful takeaway.

Rodin lives in a big house with his wife, Aisha (Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and their son, Jermaine (Daniel Berrier). It’s been a rough time for Tarrell, waking up in the middle of the night in mid-panic attack, trying to work out his feelings in the studio he shares with Aisha, a talented singer-songwriter. Despite their different disciplines they have a way to collaborate: Aisha sings a new song and Tarrell suggests adding the color yellow, which Aisha — and cinematographer Lachlan Milne (“Minari”) — divinely provides.

Tarrell has been trying to get his mother, Joyce (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), to move out of her old house and in with his family, but when they arrive she hasn’t packed. She’s also brought Tarrell’s estranged father, La’Ron (John Earl Jelks, “New Amsterdam”) back into the Tarrell’s life against his will. Tarrell and his mother were both abused by La’Ron, a former crack addict. Tarrell had every intention of introducing his father to Aisha for the first time at La’Ron’s funeral.

The message that “Exhibiting Forgiveness” iterates, over and over again, is that if you can’t forgive someone else you cannot be forgiven. And, frankly, Tarrell can be forgiven for rejecting that. La’Ron may be eager to reconnect, and even willing to explain how he became the disappointment he is, but he never explicitly asks for forgiveness. It’s only expected that Tarrell provide it, despite all the suffering La’Ron has caused. Joyce seems to have forgiven him, many times over, after many shocking betrayals. She has a light in her than Tarrell cannot understand, let alone find in himself.

And what, exactly, does Tarrell need to be forgiven for anyway? To hear Titus Kaphar’s film tell it, his understandable failure to forgive is a character flaw in itself. Or, at least, it’s an infected wound that desperately needs lancing. Holland dives head first into a role of such unusual depth and complexity it’s almost hard to process “Exhibiting Forgiveness” on a performance level. Holland, Jelks, and Ellis-Taylor are operating on astounding levels, in material that challenges and rewards, even if it cannot possibly satisfy.

Kaphar’s paintings aren’t a backdrop, and even when they are, they’re literally pushed into frame by the ghost of Tarrell’s past. In lieu of some perhaps much-needed therapy, Tarrell communicates with and through his artwork. Perhaps that’s why he’s so offended when people don’t “get” it, critics or buyers alike. He’s putting everything into those paintings. To misunderstand his work is to deny his feelings, his thoughts, his reality. He can’t even feel nostalgia; when he visits a public swimming pool from his childhood, now empty and grown over, all he sees are the chips of paint that adorn it.

“Exhibiting Forgiveness” defies certain structural conventions, interrupting narrative flows for extended dramatic moments, just like the unexpected re-introduction of La’Ron has disrupted a life Tarrell’s spent trying to move forward. Looking back is hard, it’s disruptive, it takes time. In those scenes Ellis-Taylor and Jelks provide majestic parallels to Holland’s haunted, even frightened performance. Tarrell cannot fathom coming to terms with the past they share. It disturbs him to even consider it.

Kaphar brings something special, narratively raw, but thematically refined to his first feature. It’s painful and it doesn’t necessarily heal, but it’s a full experience, exceptional in its craft, with performances that cannot be dismissed or be forgotten.

“Exhibiting Forgiveness” opens in theaters on Oct. 18.

The post ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’ Review: André Holland Brings Passion to This Raw Family Drama appeared first on TheWrap.

Sundance will hold a request for information (RFI) period for interested cities in the United States from April 17 to May 1, then select cities will participate in a request for proposal (RFP) process from May 7 to June 21. The chosen city will be announced next winter and will host the festival starting in 2027.

“We are in a unique moment for our Festival and our global film community, and with the contract up for renewal, this exploration allows us to responsibly consider how we best continue sustainably serving our community while maintaining the essence of the Festival experience,” said Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Film Festival in a statement released Wednesday.

“We are looking forward to conversations that center supporting artists and serving audiences as part of our mission and work at Sundance Institute, and are motivated by our commitment to ensure that the Festival continues to thrive culturally, operationally, and financially as it has for four decades,” Hernandez added.

While the list of potential host cities is still forthcoming, a move by the festival is not a guarantee and Park City is expected to put in a bid to keep the festival where it is after the ski resort town’s current contract with Sundance expires in 2026. As TheWrap reported last week, Sundance has until October to inform Park City officials whether it will be extending its contract with the city.

“We appreciate our partnership with Sundance, and we want the Festival to remain here for another 40 years,” Park City Mayor Nann Worel said in a statement. “We will not be alone in the effort to ensure that Utah remains host to diverse new voices from around the globe. With gratitude to the thousands of volunteers, our dedicated workforce, our residents, and the passion of our visitor and resident film lovers — we will work collaboratively with all our state and local partners on next steps.”

The bidding process comes as Sundance, like many other major film festivals such as Toronto and Berlin, have struggled financially following the pandemic. The Sundance Film Festival reported annual losses of around $6 million in 2021 and 2023, while donations to the Sundance Institute declined by $15 million last year and the number of distribution deals made at the festival have decreased amid an industry-wide scaling back in content spending.

And while Park City will fight to keep the festival that has been its biggest claim to fame, there have been concerns that Sundance has become too big for its birthplace. Founded as a mining town that transitioned to a tourism-based economy with nearby ski resorts, Park City has faced grumblings from residents and businesses about how the town’s local transportation and hotels are overwhelmed by demand when Sundance comes to town every January. Some screenings have been moved to nearby Salt Lake City to help ease capacity strain on the town.

The post Sundance Opens Bids to Explore Alternative Locations for Festival appeared first on TheWrap.

On a Jan. 22 inclusivity panel at the festival, titled “Championing Change: The Power of Inclusive Filmmaking,” presented by TheWrap, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and NFP, Sealey said that she hopes audiences learn from her drama’s hero, Melody (Phoebe-Rae Taylor), that “everybody communicates in a different way.”

The filmmaker, who’s previously known for 2021’s “No Man of God” and here worked with screenwriter Daniel Stiepleman to adapt Sharon M. Draper’s 2010 novel of the same name, admitted that there “was a big learning curve for me” to get it right. 

“I remember early on in my research phase, the Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity, they did do a lot of asking people with disabilities, like, what do you want to see more?” she recalled, “What largely came out of that was people with disabilities wanted to see movies that centered on them as human beings and not just on their disability.” 

Sealey added that those consultants also emphasized a desire to see stories that “focused on them not only as human beings, but also wasn’t always about pitying them, and also wasn’t always about them only being only worthy or only valuable because they were superhuman.”

In the case of Melody, she’s a sixth grader who “is very smart,” but Sealey was conscious of adapting the novel in a way that framed her as being “special” for more than just “because she’s a genius.”

“She’s a human being. She’s just like anybody else – she has thoughts, feelings, fears. And so that was what my approach with the film was like. This is like any other tween girl, she just happens to be nonverbal. She happens to use a wheelchair,” Sealey said. “Her having cerebral palsy is a part of how she moves through the world. Her being nonverbal is a part of the way she moves through the world, but it’s not everything about her.”

In telling Melody’s story – which costars Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, Judith Light and Michael Chernus – Sealey said that inclusivity was practiced in front of and behind the camera. 

“The inclusivity part was really about not only including people with disabilities in the cast, in the crew, in the creative process, consultants, writers, all of that,” she said. “But, also, just about how we look at people with disabilities, trying not to treat them as objects, trying not to treat them just as their disability, but treating them as a human being.”

“It’s about her finding her voice, but it’s also more importantly about the rest of us learning how to listen and understanding that everybody communicates in a different way,” she said. “Some of us use our voice, some of use our hands, some of us use a computer – we all communicate differently.”

Sealey was joined on the Monday morning panel by “Frida” documentarian Carla Gutierrez, Funny Or Die founder Henry Muñoz and Brown Girls Doc Mafia founder Iyabo Boyd, all of whom spoke to the importance of inclusivity in their own work, their reservations about the state of DEI initiatives in Hollywood today and more. 

Watch the full panel — as moderated by The Curvy Critic, Carla Renata — in the video above.

Check out all our Sundance coverage here

The post ‘Out of My Mind’ Director Says Learning ‘Everybody Communicates in a Different Way’ Was Key to Making Her Disability Drama | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The documentary was in a competitive bidding situation as three companies puts bids in.

The documentary garnered the Audience Award in the Documentary Competition category and was voted the overall Festival Favorite. The production of “Daughters” spanned eight years before its debut at Sundance.

“Daughters” co-director Dawn Neely Patton serves as the CEO of Girls For A Change, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for young Black women. Working alongside Patton is co-director Nicole Rae, an acclaimed director known for music videos, commercials and films commissioned by the United Nations and Gates Foundation.

Rae has received nominations at the prestigious Cannes Young Lions awards. “Daughters” marks the first feature-length documentary for both Patton and Rae.

The documentary was produced by Lisa Mazzotta, Natalie Rae, Justin Benoliel, Mindy Goldberg, Sam Bisbee, Kathryn Everett, Laura Choi Raycroft, James Cunningham. Paul Rachman served as co-producer.

The execuive producers are Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone, Angela Patton, Joel Edgerton, Jessica Seinfeld, Hallee Adelman, Lydia Kives, J.M. Harper, Lance Acord, Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Wendy Neu, Dom Thomas, Morgan Clement, Jessica Taneja, Bryn Mooser, Shane Riley, Harland Weiss, Donovan M. Boden, Isil Gilderdale, Emily Harris

The deal was brokered by CAA and Submarine  on behalf of the filmmakers.

Variety first reported the news of Netflix’s acquisition of “Daughers.”

The post Netflix Acquires ‘Daughters’ Out of Sundance appeared first on TheWrap.

The status of film festivals has long been associated with helping filmmakers and audiences come together to experience and learn about new projects, as well as providing independent films with a boost of clout in their efforts to get sold to big-name studios. Their purpose, and how they’ve served the lifecycle of projects being produced, was one of the questions thrown to Ankner during his panel, “Producers’ Perspectives: Navigating Film Festivals in 2024,” which was presented by TheWrap, UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television and NFP.

Joining Ankner was Jason Forest, executive producer and managing director at Bully Pictures; Jess Daveney, founder and president of Multitude Films; Luke Kelly-Clyne, co-head of HartBeat Independent at Hartbeat and Stacey Reiss, executive producer for documentary narrative films. The panel was moderated by Brian Kite, dean of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.

“I think film festivals are becoming more important every year,” said Ankner, whose film and TV resume consists largely of projects centered on communities of color and the LGBTQIA+ community. “With the proliferation of content and how we see ourselves engaging in long-form or short-form, film festivals are a catalyst of community advocacy and awareness. For me, having brought films here for years, a lot of those films were films that the studios weren’t interested in, whether it was a topic, whether it was the filmmaker, whether it was a filmmaker’s point of view, and we all know how layered that may be.”

He continued: “I’ve worked on the film sale for Ryan Cooler’s ‘Fruitvale Station’ and Boots Riley’s ‘Sorry to Bother You,’ or ‘Call Me By Your Name.’ These are not movies the studios said they would have made, but they did. Bringing these films to festivals allowed us to generate an independent funding market for these things, and when people can make money off of them and bring them to festivals, typically, those people would put money back into the other films. That was [a] really important part of the process.”

This year, Ankner is helping bring the film “Ponyboi” to the forefront. The film tells story of a young intersex sex worker named Ponyboi (River Gallo), who, over the course of Valentine’s Day in New Jersey, is on the run from the mob after a drug deal gone wrong and he’s forced him to confront his past. The film, which was written by Gallo, also brings along actors Moisés Acevedo, Aphrodite Armstrong, Indya Moore, Victoria Pedretti, Dylan O’Brien and Murray Bartlett. It was directed by Esteban Arango.

Ankner pointed out that while the movie includes Hollywood acting notables, “Ponyboi” — which features the first intersex lead in a film — is very much an independent film.

“You see all of those actors and you think, ‘That’s a studio film.’ It’s not, because for some reason the topic or the point of view didn’t suit that, so we bring it to a film festival for this community to validate its place and culture,” Ankner explained. “I see independent films and film festivals being the only voice to push culture… The things you’re seeing the studios make now are because those things were ventured for the independent space, both in films and in docs.”

Laying out the background for which diverse stories have been able to thrive, Kite questioned whether Ankner would prefer the independent route or studio-backing for his projects. Ideally, Ankner would love for diverse stories to receive more studio support, but was transparent about the reality of that happening.

“I would love for more ‘Ponybois,’ more ‘Sorry to Bother Yous’, more ‘Call Me By Your Names,’ more ‘Dear White Peoples’, more ‘Honey Boys,’ all these films that I’ve worked with over the years, being made by studios. But, there is a process of a studio where they’re looking to deliver a certain product,” Ankner said.

He also highlighted the creative freedoms filmmakers have with going the independent route. “There’s a lot of great execs at the studios, as well as you can find them. But, I think more so for us speaking in a general manner, independence creates a catalyst for conversation that isn’t necessarily taking place. It’s always the outside conversation. It’s always the thing that you’re probably in the audience thinking about right now that ends up here two years later. I think those things are evident.”

Watch the full panel in the video above.

“Ponyboi” is a sales title at Sundance.

Check out all our Sundance coverage here

The post ‘Ponyboi’ Producer Mark Ankner Sees Film Festivals, Independent Filmmaking as the ‘Only Voice to Push’ Diverse Stories Forward | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The movie follows the title character, played by Izaac Wang, as he navigates adolescence while being a Taiwanese-American boy living in the Bay Area. Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, and Chang Li Hua also star.

“Dìdi” is produced by Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, Valerie Bush, and Sean Wang. Chris Quintos Cathcart, Tyler Boehm, Robina Riccitiello, Joan Chen, Chris Columbus,  Eleanor Columbus, Dave A. Liu and Jennifer J. Pritzker serve as executive producers.

The movie marks the first release for Estrada’s Antigravity Academy, a production company and talent incubator focused on creating opportunities for emerging filmmakers.

“Dìdi is the movie I’ve always wanted to see: a coming-of-age story set in a place I know, starring people who look like those I knew, during a time when we are the worst versions of ourselves having the best time of our lives,” said Wang. “It’s been a dream to see the film resonate with so many others since our premiere at Sundance, and I’m so excited to partner with Focus to get to share this story with even more audiences who will hopefully be able to see a version of themselves in it as well,”

Kiska Higgs, President of Production & Acquisitions at Focus Features said in a statement, “Everyone at Focus saw a little of themselves in Dìdi, so we can’t wait to share Sean Wang’s brilliant vision of a Californian misfit with audiences everywhere, who will also fall in love with 13-year-old Wang-Wang as he stumbles his way into high school.”

This marks Wang’s feature-length directorial debut. He is currently an Oscar-nominated director for his short film “Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó.” The short was also a finalist in TheWrap’s ShortList 2023. The short will drop on Disney+ and Hulu on February 9.

The post Sean Wang’s ‘Dìdi’ Goes to Focus Features appeared first on TheWrap.

“Thelma” stars Squibb in her first leading role, as the title character, a grandmother who gets conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson (Fred Hechinger) and sets on an action-packed odyssey across Los Angeles to reclaim what is hers.

The film also features the final performance from the legendary Richard Roundtree, who plays Thelma’s friend who accompanies her on her journey. Parker Posey, Clark Gregg and Malcolm McDowell round out the cast. The film marks the feature debut of director Josh Margolin, who also wrote the screenplay.

“Brilliantly marrying Magnolia’s love of action, revenge, and grandmothers, ‘Thelma’ is totally unique yet universally irresistible,” said Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley in a statement. “The team at Magnolia is beyond excited to bring Josh Margolin’s thrilling and loving caper to audiences across the country.”

“This has all been a dream come true — to get to make this movie, to premiere it at Sundance, and now to release it in theaters with Magnolia,” said Margolin.  “I’ve admired their films for years and feel truly lucky to be partnering with them. We’re so excited to share ‘Thelma’ with everyone!”

Our own review of “Thelma’ out of Sundance called the movie “a totally pure delight that gives June Squibb a much-deserved leading role” with Margolin’s script described as “breezy and sharp in equal measure.”

Magnolia is planning a wide theatrical release though a release date wasn’t announced.

The post Sundance Breakout ‘Thelma’ Acquired by Magnolia appeared first on TheWrap.

“Look Into My Eyes,” the latest documentary from Lana Wilson, which premiered at Sundance, decides to shift the focus from the work mediums do to the actual mediums themselves. The effect is a thoughtful, moving portrait of a community of people who want to do their best with the gifts they’ve received.

Following a slew of mediums of all ages, backgrounds and expertise, “Look Into My Eyes” blends traditional interviews with footage from real consultations the mediums have with their clients. It’s an effective brew that draws the line between the work the subjects of the documentary do and their rich inner and personal lives. Early on, we see a montage of lost people seeking answers about everything: there is the eighteen-year-old who feels uncertain about their future, the woman who wants to know if her rebellious dog truly loves her, and the young woman who wants to know about her birth parents.

We see these people at their most vulnerable, opening themselves up to the possibilities promised by the mediums in the film. It’s a powerful starting point that gets at the themes of the documentary directly. Soon enough, we’ll see and hear the mediums behind the sessions opening up as well.

The word psychic might conjure up images of crystal balls, seance rooms and haunted houses, but the reality is much more grounded and tender. We spend time with the psychics in their apartments all over New York and get to learn about how they came into their gifts and profession. They all have different stories, but what comes through is a desire to connect.

One psychic puts it succinctly: “I want to retreat from the world, but I want to connect to it, too.” Like everyone else who has a job they have interests outside of their metaphysical gifts. From acting, to performing at open mic nights in the city, to watching their favorite movies at home, “Look Into My Eyes” pulls back the curtain of what being a psychic means in the popular imagination and provides a real counterpoint to that image.

The film is as much a documentary about the people behind the clairvoyant profession as it is about the job itself. Like any other job, being a medium comes with complications, imposter syndrome and self-doubt. When one psychic is asked if he ever doubts whether what he does is real or not, his response is frank: “Oh, all the time, every day.” Another psychic must balance personal connections with psychic ones when a former classmate comes in for a reading about one of their former friends who took their own life. It’s a unique set of circumstances that highlights how psychic work can be both similar and deeply different than any normal job.

Wilson’s techniques here, blending the traditional methods of the documentary (the sit-down interview, the voice-over narration from a subject) and following her subjects as they do their jobs and live their day-to-day jobs are remarkable. By allowing her subjects to guide her through their unique world, we’re given an intimate, disarming look into a very specific world. It’s an approach that is reminiscent of Les Blank, the documentarian behind “Chulas Fronteras” and “Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers,” who let his subjects lead the way.

It’s an almost anthropological approach, but it never feels cold or distant. The sound design is largely silent, focusing on the moments we’re watching on-screen. The decision to not include a soundtrack reads as an intentional and grounded choice: we’re supposed to be here in this moment with the psychics. Overall, it’s clear the film wants us to sit with the subjects beyond their chosen profession or alleged gifts, a rare and disarming choice that strengthens the film.

Ultimately, “Look Into My Eyes” is a unique, intimate approach to subject material that thinks beyond the obvious. Instead of grappling with the biggest, clunkiest question about clairvoyance (“Is it real?”), Wilson looks at the people behind the work. The end result is a compelling, sometimes deeply moving portrait of professionals who are much more than their metaphysical gifts.

By following this group of mediums Wilson doesn’t solve the mysteries of the universe, but she does do something remarkable: unveiling the very human desires and drives that motivate us to reach out for something bigger than ourselves.

Check out all our Sundance coverage here

The post ‘Look Into My Eyes’ Review: Fascinating Doc Lifts the Veil on Psychics and Their Personal Lives appeared first on TheWrap.

Compared to last year’s relatively sluggish market, sales activity could spike before Sundance wraps on Sunday if buyers want to leverage the excitement and momentum coming out of Park City. There are currently offers on the table for numerous titles, and just Saturday news broke that Warner Bros. is in talks to take the doc “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” for $15 million

Here’s a roundup of all the 2024 Sundance deals made so far, and we’ll be updating the list as more deals close.

My Old Ass

Amazon’s MGM Studios is in final negotiations to acquire Megan Park’s second film, “My Old Ass,” which stars Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella. The deal is for a robust $15 million. In her review of “My Old Ass,” TheWrap’s Ariana Martinez wrote that the coming-of-age dramedy “blends the YA journey with elements of sci-fi fantasy through fresh-faced 18-year-old Elliott (Stella) as she rings in adulthood by coming face-to-face with her 39-year-old self (Plaza).” The film was a charmer, playing to a standing ovation at its Sundance premiere.

Presence

Neon picked up the worldwide distribution rights to Steven Soderbergh’s unique ghost story film “Presence” on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Written by David Koepp, the film tells the story of a family who move into a house, only to discover it may or may not be haunted. It’s a story we’ve seen countless times before, but what sets “Presence” apart is it’s told entirely from the point of view of the ghost. Shot in secret over 11 days, the film stars Lucy Liu and “This Is Us” alum Chris Sullivan. In his review for TheWrap, Chase Hutchinson said the film plays “as both a haunted house story and a family drama about what happens when we drift away from those closest to us.”

Ghostlight

IFC Films and Sapan Studio acquired the North American rights to “Ghostlight,” the second film from “Saint Frances” directors Alex Thompson & Kelly O’Sullivan, on Thursday. The film stars Keith Kupferer as Dan, a melancholic construction worker who unexpectedly joins a local theater’s production of “Romeo and Juliet.” When the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to address a recent tragedy.

A Real Pain

In the first major deal of the festival, Searchlight Pictures acquired the global rights to the dramedy “A Real Pain,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring newly minted Emmy winner Kieran Culkin for a reported $10 million. The deal closed on Sunday, early in the fest.

Eisenberg stars in the film alongside Culkin as a pair of cousins who have trouble getting along — David (Eisenberg) is a polite and responsible father and husband, while Benji (Culkin) is more free-spirited, but blunt. The two go on a trip to Poland after the death of their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, tracing the steps of her struggle to survive. In his review for TheWrap, Chase Hutchinson called Culkin a “force of nature” in the “hilarious” and “heartfelt” dramedy.

Kneecap

Sony Pictures Classics acquired director Rich Peppiatt’s musical biopic parody “Kneecap,” although deal terms were not disclosed.

The film follows “self-proclaimed ‘low-life scum’ Liam Óg and Naoise, along with school teacher JJ, who become a political symbol and the defiant voice of Ireland’s restless youth. As they struggle to make their mark on the world, and family and relationship pressures threaten to pull the plug on their dreams, the trio weave a narrative that transcends music.” Michael Fassbender also appears in this offbeat comedy, which won the Audience award at Sundance in the NEXT category.

It’s What’s Inside

Netflix acquired worldwide rights to horror film “It’s What’s Inside” for $17 million on Monday. The film is written and directed by Greg Jardin and centers on a pre-wedding party that descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.

The film, which played in the Midnight section at the festival, stars Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, Gavin Leatherwood, Reina Hardesty, Nina Bloomgarden and David Thompson.

Ibelin

Netflix picked up the documentary feature “Ibelin” on the Friday of the festival’s opening weekend, the day after the film’s premiere. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the film went on to win the Audience award from Sundance in the World Documentary category.

“Ibelin” centers on Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, who died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.

Skywalkers: A Love Story

Netflix also picked up the documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which played to acclaim in the U.S. Documentary Competition category. The film stars Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus as a daredevil couple who journey across the globe to climb the world’s last super skyscraper and perform a bold acrobatic stunt on the spire.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

This deal isn’t yet closed, but Warner Bros. Discovery is in final negotiations to take the crowdpleasing documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” for $15 million. The film charts the life of Christopher Reeve, including his tenure as “Superman” and the accident that made him paralyzed from the neck down. Warner Bros. seems a solid fit given it could leverage its DC brand for the doc’s marketing.

The post Deal List: All the 2024 Sundance Sales So Far appeared first on TheWrap.

Seven years in the making, “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” stars Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus as a couple who journey across the globe to climb the world’s last super skyscraper and perform a bold acrobatic stunt on the spire. The real-life couple made a surprise appearance at the premiere in Park City last Thursday night.

The deal comes in the wake of several other Sundance deals made as the festival comes to a close this weekend. Warner Bros. is in talks to acquire the Christopher Reeve documentary “Super/Man” for a reported $15 million.

On Friday, it was announced that Amazon’s MGM Studios was in final negotiations to acquire Megan Park’s second film, “My Old Ass,” which stars Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella, according to an insider with knowledge. The deal is for $15 million. And IFC Films and Sapan Studio acquired the North American rights to “Ghostlight,” the second film from “Saint Frances” directors Alex Thompson & Kelly O’Sullivan which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, on Thursday.

Jeff Zimbalist, Maria Bukhonina, Chris Smith and XYZ’s Head of Documentary Tamir Ardon produced the film, while Nick Spicer, head of XYZ Films, is an executive producer.

XYZ Films also has another high profile documentary at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, actress Lucy Lawless’ directorial debut “Never Look Away,” which details the story of photojournalist Margaret Moth.

The deal for the film was negotiated by Nate Bolotin and Pip Ngo for XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers.

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