{"id":1535,"date":"2019-01-23T22:24:29","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T22:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ramolawpc.com\/?p=1535"},"modified":"2019-02-06T22:25:53","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T22:25:53","slug":"sundance-preview-expect-political-moments-and-few-costly-deals-at-2019-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ramolawpc.com\/new\/sundance-preview-expect-political-moments-and-few-costly-deals-at-2019-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Sundance Preview: Expect Political Moments and Few Costly Deals at 2019 Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"VarietyLogo1\"<\/a>Zac Efron underwent a grueling physical transformation to play serial killer Ted Bundy in \u201cExtremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,\u201d a drama premiering at the Sundance Film Festival this week. \u201cI lost 13 pounds,\u201d Efron says.<\/p>\n

To prepare for the biographical role, he rode a stationary bike for an hour in the mornings while binge-watching the Netflix series \u201cOzark\u201d and limited his meals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t eating carbs. I trimmed down a lot and really controlled my diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The market for independent movies is also watching its intake carefully. As the latest edition of Sundance kicks off on Jan. 24 with 112 films, the annual gathering in Park City, Utah, isn\u2019t just where fans stand for hours in the freezing cold to see some great movies. The festival serves as an annual barometer of a rapidly changing film business that continues to evolve with scrappy new players and experimental distribution models.<\/p>\n

In recent years, Sundance has adapted to the times. \u201cStreaming\u201d is no longer a taboo word, since Netflix has proved itself to be such a dominant force in entertainment, and major distributors including Disney and WarnerMedia are following suit with their own direct-to-consumer offerings.<\/p>\n

Because the costly frenzy to snatch the hottest independent acquisition has burned so many buyers \u2014 just ask Fox Searchlight about 2017\u2019s \u201cPatti Cake$\u201d or 2016\u2019s \u201cThe Birth of a Nation\u201d \u2014 there are fewer all-night bidding wars and blockbuster deals. Paul Davidson, exec VP of film and TV at The Orchard, estimates that the majority of prominent sales at Sundance this year will be in the modest $3 million to $7 million range.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year was the first year in a while where there was less bidding up,\u201d Davidson says. \u201cFilms were reasonably priced. There were just enough indie distributors and content for everybody to find a couple of things.\u201d He predicts that for feature films, the trend will continue into 2019.<\/p>\n

The business of independent film is in a moment of great unpredictability. Distributors such as A24 and Fox Searchlight have been turning to producing their own slates, so they can better control quality and costs. Amazon Studios, which relied on Sundance to nab such high-profile titles as \u201cManchester by the Sea\u201d and \u201cThe Big Sick,\u201d has curbed its buying on the festival front. CBS Films announced that it will be shuttering its theatrical film arm to focus on streaming. Global Road went out of business. And Harvey Weinstein, who used to rule Sundance, has been brought down by sexual harassment charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year was the first year in a while where there was less bidding up. Films were reasonably priced.\u201d
\nPAUL DAVIDSON, EXEC VP OF FILM AND TV, THE ORCHARD<\/p>\n

Even with all the changes afoot, Sundance 2018 was a launching pad for a surprising number of hits, including \u201cHereditary,\u201d \u201cSorry to Bother You\u201d and \u201cEighth Grade.\u201d There were also big disappointments such as \u201cAssassination Nation,\u201d a violent thriller that flopped in theaters. Additionally, while box office was up last year, there weren\u2019t many successful independent movies on the awards circuit, which reinforces the idea that ticket buyers are gravitating toward tentpoles (\u201cBlack Panther,\u201d \u201cDeadpool 2\u201d) when splurging at the multiplex. Matthew Heineman, a respected Sundance documentary director, saw his first narrative film, \u201cA Private War,\u201d gross only $1.6 million at the domestic box office, despite strong reviews.<\/p>\n

Another notable miss: Gus Van Sant\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Worry, He Won\u2019t Get Far on Foot,\u201d starring Joaquin Phoenix, which bowed in Park City last January. \u201cIt\u2019s a very challenging time,\u201d says \u201cExtremely Wicked\u201d director Joe Berlinger. \u201cBut because of streaming and the golden age of television, it\u2019s like the best of times and the worst of times. There\u2019s never been a better opportunity to be a creator of content. But that may not mean in the theaters.\u201d He pauses to clarify that his movie is seeking a theatrical release.<\/p>\n

Many A-list celebrities at Sundance will also be holding out for the big screen. Some of the buzzier titles to hit the ground this year include Shia LaBeouf\u2019s autobiographical \u201cHoney Boy,\u201d starring Lucas Hedges; the comedy \u201cLate Night\u201d with Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson; and \u201cAfter the Wedding,\u201d a remake of the Oscar-nominated Susanne Bier drama with the two originally male leads played by Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams. \u201cBy swapping the genders, it feels modern and timely,\u201d says the film\u2019s director, Bart Freundlich, who was last at Sundance two decades ago with \u201cThe Myth of Fingerprints.\u201d<\/p>\n

Artists at Sundance have never been reluctant to wade into politics. Two years ago, on the day after Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration, hundreds overtook Main Street for the Women\u2019s March. This year, Planned Parenthood is hosting a panel to encourage filmmakers to more accurately depict characters that deal with their reproductive health. And the biggest star at Sundance may not hail from Hollywood. Newly elected New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be touching down in Utah to support \u201cKnock Down the House,\u201d a documentary that chronicles her and other female politicians\u2019 campaigns.<\/p>\n

Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore take on the roles played by the male leads in the remake of Susanne Bier\u2019s \u201cAfter the Wedding.\u201d
\nJULIO MACAT
\nOn the nonfiction front, there are higher expectations overall. The bidding for documentaries could be more competitive as a result of the success of recent movies about Fred Rogers (\u201cWon\u2019t You Be My Neighbor?\u201d) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (\u201cRBG\u201d) that overperformed at the box office in the Trump era. And since documentaries are cheaper to distribute, they aren\u2019t as much of a gamble for distributors, which could drive prices up even further.<\/p>\n

Director Drake Doremus, who produced \u201cLove, Antosha,\u201d about the late actor Anton Yelchin, says there\u2019s never been a better time for the genre. \u201cWe\u2019re super excited about the world\u2019s appetite for documentaries,\u201d he says. His film incorporates never-before-seen footage provided by Yelchin\u2019s parents alongside interviews with J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Lawrence, Kristen Stewart, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and others.<\/p>\n

One title sure to make some news is \u201cLorena,\u201d a biographical miniseries from Amazon. The show\u2019s director, Joshua Rof\u00e9, wanted to look back on Lorena Bobbitt through the lens of #MeToo, as a victim of abuse rather than a tabloid headline about a woman who cut off her husband\u2019s penis.<\/p>\n

Bobbitt explains why she allowed the cameras back into her life. \u201cBasically, I just had to say, \u2018Look, I owe this to myself,\u2019\u201d she tells Variety. \u201cAnd to me, the most important thing was to address the epidemic of domestic violence to actually educate people. This is a serious issue. We are actually changing the life of someone who is a victim or victimized.\u201d<\/p>\n

View this article at Variety<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Zac Efron underwent a grueling physical transformation to play serial killer Ted Bundy in \u201cExtremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,\u201d a drama premiering at the Sundance Film Festival this week. \u201cI lost 13 pounds,\u201d Efron says. To prepare for the biographical role, he rode a stationary bike for an hour in the mornings while binge-watching
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