Slave Revolt Drama ‘Birth of a Nation’ Sells to Fox Searchlight for $17.5 Million in Record Deal

Sundance 2016: It’s a new record for the festival, where the film drew multiple standing ovations at the Eccles

| January 26, 2016 @ 8:24 AM Last Updated: November 10, 2016 @ 3:28 PM
Birth of a Nation Sundance

courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Fox Searchlight is closing a record-breaking deal to acquire worldwide rights to Nate Parker’s “Birth of a Nation” for $17.5 million, an individual with knowledge of the situation has told TheWrap, which first reported Fox Searchlight’s whopping bid.

The sum is believed to be the most paid for any film in Sundance history, and reflects a bidding war driven by deep-pocketed streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon.

The deal calls for a wide release from Fox Searchlight, which has proven it can handle racially-charged dramas, having released Best Picture winner “12 Years a Slave.”

Also Read: Inside Historic Sundance Bidding War for 'Birth of a Nation': Why Netflix Offered More But Still Lost

“Birth of a Nation” received multiple standing ovations during its debut at the Eccles during the Sundance Film Festival on Monday and could be an awards contender next year.

WME Global handled the bidding war, which also included the Weinstein Company, Sony and Netflix. The latter offered $20 million to outbid all of the traditional distributors. In the end, the filmmakers took less money, but went with a proven entity — indie powerhouse Fox Searchlight.

“Birth of a Nation” arrives at a time when Hollywood is eager to embrace an empowering story from a promising director of color, coming on the heels of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that ignited due to a lack of diversity among this year’s Oscar nominees.

“Birth of a Nation” stars Parker as Nat Turner, who led a 48-hour slave rebellion against his white masters. Armie Hammer and Aja Naomi King co-star alongside Jackie Earle Haley and Jayson Warner Smith.

Catch our exclusive interview with Nate Parker below:

Sundance 2016: Photos from TheWrap's Portrait Studio Presented by KIA (Photos)

  • Ellen Page Sundance Photographed by Corina Marie Howell for TheWrap
  • Markees Christmas Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Carla Juri Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Craig Robinson Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Craig Robinson & Markees Christmas Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Abigail Spencer Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Abigail Spencer Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Abigail Spencer Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Ant Timpson, Tim League Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Daniel Noah, Josh Waller, Elijah Wood Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Danny DeVito Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Danny DeVito Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Gus Halper Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Gus Halper Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Gus Halper Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Gus Halper Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Ben Schnetzer Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Nick Jonas Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Nick Jonas Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Austin Lyon, Nick Jonas, Gus Halper, Danny Flaherty, Jake Picking, Brock Yurich, Ben Schnetzer Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Nick Jonas & Ben Schnetzer Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Riley Keough Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • John Legend Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • John Legend, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Alano Miller, Jessica De Gouw, Aldis Hodge Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Aldis Hodge Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Emma Greenwell Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Sundance Timothy Simons Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Michael C. Hall Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Michael C. Hall Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Andre Hyland Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • AnnaLynne McCord Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, AnnaLynne McCord, Richard Bates Jr. Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Matt Ross Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Viggo Mortensen Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Rob Zombie Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Rob and Sheri Moon Zombie Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Daniel Radcliffe Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Norman Lear Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Anderson Cooper Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Lily-Rose Melody Depp Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Lily Rose Depp Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Austin Butler Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Spike Lee Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Natasha Lyonne Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Chloë Sevigny Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Chloe Sevigny Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Chloë Sevigny Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Chloe Sevigny Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Jenny Slate Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Jenni Konner, Lena Dunham, & Jason Benjamin Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Katie Couric Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Jena Malone, Riley Keough, So Yong Kim, Ryan Eggol Sundance Photos by Corina Marie Howell
  • Nate Parker
  • Sarah Gadon Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Sarah Gadon Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Clea DuVall Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Amy Seimetz Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Kyle Chandler Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Thomas Middleditch Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Lucas Hedges Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Kevin Smith Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Harley Quinn Smith Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Alison Brie Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Jena Malone Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Mary Stuart Masterson Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Justin Long Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
  • Austin Lyon Photographed by Corina Marie Howell
1 of 67

Sundance 2016: Ellen Page, Craig Robinson, Nick Jonas, Abigail Spencer and Danny DeVito are among the stars who sit for our camera

Ellen Page / Actress / "Tallulah"

Photos by Corina Marie Howell for TheWrap

View In Gallery