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Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut has already caused a stir with its Sundance Film Festival premiere – and the film is set to make even more noise, as Netflix nears a $ 16 million deal for the rights to worldwide distribution of the film, an individual with knowledge of the agreement. tell Variety.
Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga star in the project, based on the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen and adapted by Hall, about the racial shift in 1920s New York City.
“Passing” was one of the liveliest titles heading into the festival, with Endeavor Content handling sales for the image. The film benefits from a star-studded cast (André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård and Bill Camp are also staring in the film) and, after its well-reviewed premiere, a significant acquisition deal was to be expected.
Set in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, Irene (Thompson) and Clare (Negga) are two Métis women and childhood friends, who find themselves in adulthood, discovering that they now live on two different sides of the line. colored, with Clare “passing” as white. As the lives of the two women become more and more intertwined, the narrative turns inward, giving insight into the complicated nature of racial identity and how we are all influenced by how the world is. sees us.
Hall’s film, which also features Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and Ashley Ware Jenkins, premiered on Saturday as part of the US Drama Competition lineup for the 2021 Sundance Virtual Edition.
Netflix is no slouch when it comes to big shopping in Park City (whether the festival takes place in person or virtually). At last year’s festival, the streamer picked up the winner of the directorial award “The Forty-Year-Old Version” from writer, director and star Radha Blank in a seven-figure contract. to high. The film won Gotham, Independent Spirit and AFI honors, as well as a place on the National Board of Review’s Best Films list. Netflix also acquired Jeff Orlowski’s documentary “The Social Dilemma” and had previously acquired “His House,” the intoxicating horror film from newcomer Remi Weeks, before its festival premiere.
“Passing” is produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Margot Hand and Hall. Thompson and Negga are executive producers of the film, along with Oren Moverman, Angela Robinson, Erika Hampson, Michael Y. Chow, Kevin A. Lin, Lauren Dark, Daniel Battsek, Ollie Madden, Brenda Robinson, Chaz Ebert, Yvonne Huff, Christopher Liu, Arcadiy Golubovich, Dori A. Rath, Joseph J. Restaino, David Gendron and Ali Jazayeri.
Deadline was the first to break news of the impending deal for “Passing”.
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