How David Oyelowo and Storm Reid Became the Stars of ‘Relive’ – a Film Originally About White People on an Ohio Farm (Video)
Sundance 2019: Writer-director Jacob Estes did some rewrites when Oyelowo joined the Sundance drama
Tim Molloy | January 28, 2019 @ 1:35 PM
Last Updated: January 28, 2019 @ 1:37 PM
When writer-director Jacob Estes originally wrote his new Sundance drama “Relive,” the script centered on a white family living on a farm in Ohio. But after acclaimed actor David Oyelowo agreed to join the project, he happily got to work rewriting.
“Relive,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, follows an LAPD detective who has a close bond with his niece, Ashley (“Wrinkle in Time” star Storm Reid). When tragedy strikes, their bond continues through phone calls that transcend time. Together, they solve a mystery and try to save each other’s lives.
As Estes told TheWrap in a Q&A at the WanderLuxxe Fimmaker Lounge on Sunday, he had practical reasons for originally setting key scenes in “Relive” on a farm in Ohio: a series of gunshots early in the film had to take place somewhere no one would hear them.
But when Oyelowo signed on as the film’s star and producer, they agreed to move “Relive” to a mostly African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles where, Estes explained, the sound of gunshots is far too common. Because “Relive” is partly a family drama, casting Oyelowo opened the door to several other black actors joining the project, including Reid.
Oyelowo told us he first saw Reid’s gifts as an actor when he visited the set of “A Wrinkle in Time,” in which she starred as Meg, a young girl who travels through space and time in search of her father. “A Wrinkle in Time” was directed by Ava DuVernay, who also directed Oyelowo’s Golden Globe-nominated turn as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.”
Estes’ script needs the audience to believe that the love and faith between Oyelowo and Reid’s characters is strong enough to transcend seemingly impossible obstacles. The two actors told us about a pact they made early on to make sure they always supported each other through every scene, even the ones in which their characters can’t see each other.
You can watch the video above. The Q&A starts at the 15-minute mark.
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.
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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.
