Paramount Home Media has acquired the worldwide rights to the Nick Jonas fraternity-hazing drama “Goat” at the Sundance Film Festival for $2.25 million, TheWrap has learned.
Based on true events chronicled in Brad Land’s memoir, “Goat” stars Ben Schnetzer (“Pride”) as young man pledging his older brother’s fraternity following a violent assault that left him questioning his own manhood after he didn’t fight back.
Determined to prove himself as a man among men, Brad puts up with all kinds of crap — literally and figuratively — while his older brother (Nick Jonas) feels increasingly guilty about subjecting Brad to another painful ordeal, regardless of the light at the end of a semester-long tunnel.
The drama is directed by Andrew Neel and the cast also includes Virginia Gardner, Austin Lyon and Danny Flaherty.
Like “The Intervention,” which Paramount Home Media acquired on Thursday, there will be a day-and-date VOD release, with MTV getting the first TV window. A third party will handle the theatrical distribution.
“Goat” entered Sundance with no shortage of early buzz, boasting James Franco as a producer (he also appears in a surprise cameo) and David Gordon Green as a co-writer.
Franco and his Rabbit Bandini producing partner Vince Jolivette have been developing the project for the past 10 years, and they were joined by the Killer Films duo of David Hinojosa and Christine Vachon, whose “Boys Don’t Cry” featured similar scenes of unthinkable violence.
At the post-screening Q&A, Neel said he hoped that “Goat” would start a conversation about modern masculinity. “It hasn’t been discussed very much,” said the director, who added that “most of women’s problems are because of men’s problems,” and men tend to suffer in silence rather than discuss their true feelings.
CAA repped the filmmakers.
Sundance Deals: What's Sold So Far, From 'Tallulah' to 'Under The Shadow'
Sundance Film Festival
"The Fundamentals of Caring" Sells to Netflix Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts struggle with looking after one another in Rob Burnett's comedy, but Netflix was more than happy to look after the SVOD rights for nearly $7 million.
"Tallulah" Sells to Netflix Netflix scooped exclusive SVOD rights to Sian Heder's "Tallulah" to the tune of $5 million, which follows Ellen Page as a nanny gone rogue. An unnamed theatrical partner will release the film in the latter part of 2016.
"Complete Unknown" Sells to Amazon Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon seduced Amazon into purchasing U.S. rights to this thriller, in which Weisz plays a mysterious dinner party guest who Shannon swears he's met before. And he may be right. Amazon will seek a theatrical distributor for later in the year.
"Love and Friendship" Sells to Amazon/Roadside Whit Stillman's reteaming of Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale goes from the after-hours life of "The Last Days of Disco" to the sidewalks of Jane Austen in "Love and Friendship" -- which now belongs to Amazon for streaming and Roadside Attractions for theatrical. The partnership comes after the companies worked together on Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq."
"Under the Shadow" Sells to Netflix The Iranian horror film "Under The Shadow" -- which has been compared to "The Babadook" -- had its SVOD rights go to Netflix.
"A Birth of a Nation" Sells to Fox Searchlight Fox Searchlight closed a record-breaking deal to acquire worldwide rights to Nate Parker’s “Birth of a Nation” for $17.5 million, which is believed to be the most paid for any film in Sundance history.
"Equity" Sells to Sony Classics Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide rights to “Equity,” a female-driven Wall Street tale starring Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas and Alysia Reiner.
"Indignation" Sells to Summit Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment acquired North American rights to James Schamus‘ directorial debut “Indignation” for $2.5 million. The coming-of-age drama is based on the novel by Philip Roth about the son of a kosher butcher who leaves his sheltered family life in New Jersey to attend college in Ohio, where he clashes with the dean.
"Morris from America" Sells to A24 A24 acquired domestic rights to Chad Hartigan’s “Morris From America,” which stars Craig Robinson and newcomer Markees Christmas. The nearly seven-figure deal will fall under A24’s pact with DirecTV, which recently released the company’s Garrett Hedlund-Oscar Isaac thriller “Mojave.”
"Manchester by the Sea" Sells to Amazon Amazon has closed a $10 million deal for domestic rights to Kenneth Lonergan’s family drama “Manchester by the Sea,” which garnered rave reviews following its world premiere at the Eccles on Jan. 23.
"Eat That Question" Sells to Sony Classics Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide rights to the documentary “Eat That Question — Frank Zappa In His Own Words,” about the legendary composer-musician. The film is told entirely through archival footage assembled from the performer’s 30-year career in entertainment, including rare TV interviews and performances from around the world.
"The Fits" Sells to Oscilloscope Laboratories Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired U.S. rights to Anna Rose Holmer’s debut feature “The Fits” from Mongrel International, just days before the film’s Sundance premiere. Oscilloscope will release the film theatrically this summer, when it will first open New York’s new Metrograph theater.
1 of 13
Studios, indie players and deep-pocketed streaming companies compete for 2016’s best films. Here’s who won
Sundance Film Festival
