Amazon Studios continued its free-spending ways in Sundance, acquiring worldwide rights to the comedy “Brittany Runs a Marathon” in a deal worth $14 million.
Writer-director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s comedy, which premiered Monday night in dramatic competition at the Park City, Utah, festival, stars Jillian Bell as an out-of-shape 27-year-old New Yorker who decides to lace up her Converse sneakers and get fit after an alarming visit to a Yelp-recommended doctor from whom she hoped to score an Adderall prescription.
The cast also includes Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock and Alice Lee. Matthew Plouffe, Tobey Maguire and Margot Hand produced the film, while executive producers include Colaizzo, Bell and Richard Weinberg.
“Paul has crafted a hilariously rich story populated with vivid characters, anchored by the brilliant Jillian Bell, struggling with relatable issues many face on a daily basis,” Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “Our goal at Amazon Studios, across both TV and film, is to be the best home for talent – in front and behind the camera. The three films we’ve picked up at Sundance speak to that ethos. It’s a mixture of new and established talent we hope to build a future with and continue to produce content for audiences around the world on Amazon Prime Video. Our customers are going to absolutely love these films!”
Colaizzo added, “I could feel Jennifer Salke’s passion for our movie and its characters as soon as she walked in the room. I’m so moved by the boundless love and support she and her colleagues have promised ‘Brittany.’ My heart is full, my mind is blown, and I am going to bed.”
Amazon Studios has made a big impression in Park City this month, led by new head Jennifer Salke and a film team headed by Ted Hope, Bob Berney, Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman.
Amazon also paid an eye-opening $13 million for U.S. rights to the Mindy Kaling-Emma Thompson comedy “Late Night,” then shelled out $14 million for rights to director Scott Z Burns’ fact-based “The Report,” starring Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Ted Levin, Maura Tierney and Michael C. Hall.
Deadline first broke the news about the “Brittany Runs a Marathon” deal. Endeavor Content negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
10 Movie Hits Launched at Sundance in 2018, From 'Won't You Be My Neighbor' to 'Eighth Grade' (Photos)
Even though last year's Sundance didn't see studios break the bank to acquire a movie, the Park City festival was still the launch pad for several future indie hits that competed or premiered there. Here are the biggest ones from the last 12 months.
“Colette” ($5.1 million domestic) — Our list opens with Keira Knightley's portrayal of the author of the "Claudine" novels, who strikes out on her own after her manipulative husband takes the novels to Paris and claims that he wrote them. Bleecker Street bought the film for $4 million and saw a minor return on the film.
“Leave No Trace” ($6 million) -- "Winter's Bone" director Debra Granik won praise from indie circles for her gentle direction of a single father and his teenage daughter's wayward journey from one home to another after being caught living off the grid.
"Tully" ($9.4 million) -- The buzz for Charlize Theron's performance as a weary single mother began with a surprise screening at Sundance, going on to gross just under $10 million domestically.
“Three Identical Strangers” ($12.3 million) — Director Tim Wardle received a Special Jury Prize at Sundance for his competition-screened telling of triplets who were separated at birth thanks to an unethical behavioral science experiment. “Strangers” was one of four documentaries in 2018 to gross over $12 million at the box office, the first time that has ever happened in a calendar year.
“Eighth Grade” ($13.5 million) — It was snubbed by the Sundance jury AND the Academy, but “Eighth Grade” was still a striking debut for both its director, Bo Burnham, and its lead star, Elsie Fisher. The coming-of-age tale earned one of the highest opening per screen averages of the year, as A24 also held free screenings for teens to get around the film’s R rating.
“RBG” ($14 million) — Last year saw Ginsburg Mania hit a fever pitch, highlighted by the success of Magnolia Pictures’ documentary on the Supreme Court Justice released in the middle of a blockbuster-loaded May. And now it has earned Magnolia its second straight Oscar nomination, joining last year's doc "I Am Not Your Negro"
“Sorry to Bother You” ($17.5 million) — Boots Riley’s directorial debut became an instant cult classic with its bizarre imagery and cutting social commentary. It was purchased by Annapurna in an effort to built its distribution wing and became its first legit indie box office hit.
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.8 million) — Morgan Neville’s ode to Mister Rogers might have been shockingly snubbed from the Oscars, but it was still the most talked about film at Sundance and one of the most popular docs of the past decade. Released in the summer, it now ranks as one of the top 10 highest grossing nonfiction films of all-time.
“Searching” ($26 million) — The feature debut of Indian-American filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty made a huge splash in Sundance’s Next section and made a mint after being released by Sony in the late summer. Made on a paltry $1 million budget and bought for $5 million, “Searching” stars John Cho and tells the story of a father searching for his disappeared daughter, with almost the whole film being told on smartphone and computer screens.
“Hereditary” ($44.1 million) — The biggest box office hit of Sundance 2018 was a midnight section film produced by A24. “Hereditary” earned critical and audience acclaim for its disturbing portrayal of grief and its destructive power, and was declared by many to be the finest performance of Toni Collette’s career.
1 of 11
Several films that premiere or compete in Park City go on to become the indie darlings of tomorrow
Even though last year's Sundance didn't see studios break the bank to acquire a movie, the Park City festival was still the launch pad for several future indie hits that competed or premiered there. Here are the biggest ones from the last 12 months.
