While many films arrived at Sundance with distribution deals already in place, many were still seeking acquisition. It’s been pretty quiet over the last week, but now it appears the first major acquisition is nearly in place, and it’s for the crowd-pleasing body horror, Together.
Deadline reports that NEON has won a days-long bidding war to acquire Together, the Michael Shanks-directed Midnight film starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie. I was in attendance at the January 26th world premiere and I can tell you the crowd had a Hell of a time with the film as it’s funny, scary, and even a bit romantic. It’s clear that studio heads were in the house, too.
It’s unclear what the final number will be, but the report estimates somewhere in the realm of $20M, which is great for a Midnight genre film. The deal could also set the bar for future acquisitions from the festival as there are a lot of crowd-pleasing titles left out there with a few days in Park City left.
Here’s the synopsis: With a move to the countryside already testing the limits of a couple’s relationship, a supernatural encounter begins an extreme transformation of their love, their lives, and their flesh.
You can check out my review of Together here.
Update: The deal has gone through, and Neon has set Together to open in theaters on August 1st.
