We've Got Hollywood Covered
|

Ashley Williams Sundance Short ‘Meats’ Gobbled Up for Streaming by Topic (Exclusive)

Sundance 2020: Streaming service from First Look Media acquired the film that made its world premiere as part of the shorts program

| February 5, 2020 @ 9:21 AM
Meats Ashley Williams

Courtesy of Sundance Institute/Photo by Roman Vasyanov

Topic, First Look Media’s new streaming service, has acquired the North American streaming rights to “Meats,” Ashley Williams’ short film that made its world premiere in the shorts program at the Sundance Film Festival, Topic announced Wednesday.

Topic also acquired a first look opportunity for any projects based on or related to “Meats.”

“How I Met Your Mother Actress” Williams starred in and directed “Meats,” which looks at how a pregnant vegan struggles with her newfound craving to eat meat. The story was inspired by the ideas of the ethics of eating food as posed by writers like Michael Pollan, Camas Davis and Jonathan Safran Foer.

Williams stars in “Meats” alongside a real-life master butcher named Giancarlo Sbarbaro. She also produced with Neal Dodson.

Also Read: Sundance 2020: Streamers Spent Big and Documentaries Are All the Rage

“There were many incredible shorts that premiered at Sundance this year, and ‘Meats’ was such a brilliantly unique, comedic look at human nature vs. choice and sacrifice,” Ryan Chanatry, general manager of Topic, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be sharing Ashley’s film with Topic’s subscribers later this year.”

“Having just seen audiences view my film at Sundance, I’m so happy that Topic loves the project and will grow the audience for ‘Meats.’ I’m flattered and proud,” Williams said in a statement.

“The team at Topic is smart and forward-thinking about what stories and storytellers they elevate. We’re looking forward to them distributing ‘Meats’ and to collaborating on future projects with them as well,” Dodson said in a statement.

Also Read: First Look's Michael Bloom and Topic's Maria Zuckerman Talk 'Homegrown Success' of 10 Films at Sundance

Williams is currently forming projects for Hallmark and Lifetime, as well as a TV series based on Camas Davis’ memoir “Killing It: An Education” in development with Pam Fryman. Williams also received the Creative Coalition Spotlight Award at Sundance last week along with filmmaker Julie Taymor and actors Rachel Brosnahan and Jim Gaffigan.

Topic is the new streaming service launched by First Look Media last year that offers a curated collection of North American premieres and programming from around the world as well as original scripted comedies, dramas, talk shows, documentaries and features. Most recently Topic teamed up with ITV to release the latest series from Shane Meadows, “The Virtues” starring Stephen Graham, that will be available in North America for streaming on Topic in April.

The deal was negotiated by Topic GM Ryan Chanatry and acquisitions lead Dea Perez with CounterNarrative Films’ Neal Dodson on behalf of the filmmakers.

Sundance Portraits From A to Z: Andy Samberg to Zazie Beetz (Exclusive Photos)

  • Sundance2020 gallery split v2
  • Glenn Close, Four Good Days
  • Mila Kunis, Four Good Days
  • Rodrigo Garcia, Four Good Days
  • Toni Collette, Dream Horse
  • Euros Lyn, Dream Horse
  • Sienna Miller, Wander Darkly
  • Diego Luna, Wander Darkly
  • Ron Howard, Rebuilding Paradise
  • Alison Brie, Horse Girl
  • Jeff Baena, Horse Girl
  • Steven Yeun, Minari
  • Yuh Jung Youn, Minari
  • Han Yeri, Minari
  • Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
  • Kelly Rowland, Bad Hair
  • Ashley Blaine Featherson, Bad Hair
  • James Van Der Beek, Bad Hair
  • Yaani King Mondschein, Bad Hair
  • Elle Lorraine, Bad Hair
  • Justin Simien, Bad Hair
  • Hatice Cengiz, The Dissident
  • Bryan Fogel, The Dissident
  • Andy Samberg, Palm Springs
  • Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs
  • Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs
  • Andy Siara, Palm Springs
  • Joe Keery, Spree
  • John DeLuca, Spree
  • Spree Director and Cast
  • Uncle Frank Director Alan Ball and Cast
  • Allan Ball, Uncle Frank
  • Paul Bettany, Uncle Frank
  • Sophia Lillis, Uncle Frank
  • Peter Macdissi, Uncle Frank
  • Rachel Brosnahan, Ironbark
  • Dominic Cooke, Rachel Brosnahan, and Merab Ninidze, Ironbark
  • Wilmer Valderrama, Blast Beat
  • Diane Guerrero, Blast Beat
  • Moises Arias, Blast Beat
  • Kali Uchis, Blast Beat
  • Daniel Dae Kim, Blast Beat
  • Mateo Arias, Blast Beat
  • Esteban Arango, Blast Beat
  • Lee Gelernt, The Fight
  • Brigitte Amiri, The Fight
  • THE FIGHT and Kerry Washington
  • Winston Duke, Nine Days
  • Bill Skarsgård, Nine Days
  • Zazie Beetz, Nine Days
  • Benedict Wong, Nine Days
  • Arianna Ortiz, Nine Days
  • David Rysdahl, Nine Days
  • Edson Oda, Nine days
  • Sil Lai Abrams, Drew Dixon, and Sherri Hines, On the Record
  • Gloria Steinem, The Glorias
  • Julie Taymor, The Glorias
  • Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows
  • Christopher Abbott, Possessor
  • Brandon Cronenberg, Possessor
  • Agnes Gund, Aggie
  • Catherine Gund, Aggie
  • Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Farewell Amor
  • Zainab Jah, Farewell Amor
  • Jayme Lawson, Farewell Amor
  • The Go Go's and Steve Pond
  • The Go Go's and Director Alison Ellwood
  • John Reynolds, Save Yourselves
  • Sunita Mani, Save Yourselves
  • Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, Save Yourselves
  • Alec Baldwin, Beast Beast
  • Jose Angeles, Will Madden, and Shirley Chen, Beast Beast
  • Bao Nguyen, Be Water
  • Julie Nottingham, Be Water
  • Lana Wilson, Miss Americana
  • Christine O'Malley, Morgan Neville, and Caitrin Rogers, Miss Americana
  • Jessica Hargrave and Ryan White, Assassins
  • Carey Mulligan and Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
  • Maimouna Doucoure and Zangro, Cuties
  • Charlie Shotwell, Jude Law, and Oona Roche, The Nest
  • Devin France, Wendy
  • Elisabeth Moss, Shirley
  • Michael Stuhlbarg, Shirley
  • Josephine Decker, Shirley
  • Logan Lerman, Shirley
  • Brian Lazarte, McMillions
  • James Lee Hernandez, McMillions
  • Julia Garner, The Assistant
  • Kitty Green, The Assistant
  • Marquise Vilson, Sam Feder, Amy Scholder, Disclosure
  • Zeke Smith, Zackary Drucker, and Jen Richards, Disclosure
  • Rebecca Hall, The Night House
  • David Bruckner, The Night House
  • Stacy Martin, The Night House
  • Charm City Kings Cast and Crew
  • Wagner Moura, Sergio
  • Brent Travers and Daniel Marc Dreifuss, Sergio
  • Greg Barker, Sergio
  • Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein, The Nowhere Inn
  • Pilou Asbæk, Run Sweetheart Run
  • Ella Balinska, Run Sweetheart Run
  • Pilou Asbæk, Shana Feste, and Ella Balinska, Run Sweetheart Run
  • Emily Mortimer, Relic
  • Patricia Vidal Delgado, La Leyenda Negra
  • Monica Betancourt, La Leyenda Negra
  • Viggo Mortensen, Falling
  • Lance Henriksen, Falling
  • Laurent Bouzereau and Natasha Gregson Wagner, Natalie Wood, What Remains Behind
  • Stacey Reiss, Spaceship Earth
  • Mark Nelson, Spaceship Earth
  • Matt Wolf, Spaceship Earth
  • Linda Leigh, Spaceship Earth
  • Marina Zenovich, Lance
  • Andrea Riseborough, Luxor
  • Karim Saleh, Luxor
  • Brenda Chapman, Come Away
  • Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear
1 of 117

Sundance 2020: Stars like Glenn Close, Kerry Washington and Bill Skarsgard stop by TheWrap Studio presented by Heineken at the Pando Art Gallery

View In Gallery