15 Buzzy Sundance Titles for Sale: J.Lo’s ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s ‘Together’ and More
Hollywood is heading up the mountain for what’s possibly one of the final Sundance Film Festivals to be held in the posh ski-resort town of Park City. It’s a place that’s hosted its fair share of all-night bidding wars, where films ranging from “Reservoir Dogs” and “Napoleon Dynamite” to “Brooklyn” and “The Big Sick” landed massive deals before going on to box office, and in some cases, Oscar glory. But it’s also been the setting of some frenzied sales that didn’t always pay off, like “Happy, Texas”or “Blinded by the Light.”
Dave Franco, Alison Brie
Sundance has already announced the festival is considering decamping Utah for Ohio or Colorado in 2027. Even if it does stay in the state, the focus of the festival will shift to Salt Lake City, which is better positioned than Park City to host the crowds that the celebration of movies attracts. So will nostalgia for some final late-night screenings at the Eccles and Egyptian theaters make independent studios and streamers more willing to sign some big checks? Or will the fragile state of the film business, one that’s already lead to a great deal of economizing, mean that buyers will be more money-conscious?
Here are 15 movies that (on paper) seem most likely to to leave Sundance with a splashy sale.
Prime Minister
Director: Michelle Walshe, Lindsay Utz
Sales Agent: CAA
Why Buyers Are Circling: It’s a compelling look at the life of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who reluctantly took on what she’s called “the worst job in politics” as the leader of the country’s opposition movement. During her five tumultuous years in power, she implemented sweeping gun law reforms following a tragic mass shooting and guided the nation through the pandemic by relying on science. In other words, it’s a refreshing change of pace from America’s gridlocked partisan politics. Washington, take note.
